Kerman2024

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BILL

State 911 Tax: This is a flat rate tax applied to each access line as ordered by the California State Legislature to fund the public safety communications networks. State 988 Tax: This is a flat rate tax applied to each access line as ordered by the California State Legislature to fund the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. California PUC User Fee: This fee was ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to fund PUC activities. The fee is assessed on local monthly service and toll calls made within the state. Federal Tax: This tax was ordered by the Federal Government as an excise tax. This tax is applied to all portions of your bill. FUSC Surcharge: A Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC), as prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission, is designed to help keep local telephone service rates affordable for all customers, in all areas of the United States. Public Purpose Program (PPP) Surcharge: California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated a flat rate Public Purpose Program (PPP) surcharge that funds all the following California programs: Universal LifeLine Telephone Service (ULTS) provides discounted home phone and cellular phone services to qualifying households. Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP) provides telecommunications devices to deaf or hearing-impaired consumers. California High Cost Fund – A (CHCF-A) provides support to qualifying telephone companies serving rural and small metropolitan areas which are considered high cost.

Understanding Your Bill There are many items that appear on your monthly statement. Local telephone companies have been ordered to identify each of these items separately. For your assistance, listed below is a brief explanation of some of the most commonly used terms. Toll Charges Sebastian bills for toll calls for customers subscribed to our toll service. Customers that are not subscribed to Sebastian toll service will receive separate statements from the carrier/carriers they are subscribed to. Long Distance Rates Charges are based on rates in effect at the time of connection at the calling point. They may change if authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission or Federal Communications Commission. Charge Summary This section of your bill shows your monthly service rate and other recurring charges. Prorated charges for monthly service, if you had service for less than a month, will appear here also. There are items in this section for regulated and non-regulated services. This section will also include non-recurring charges for installations, connections, etc. Monthly Service Rate: This is a charge for your monthly service and is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. Unregulated Telephone Equipment: This is a monthly fee for leased equipment. These fees are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. Taxes And Surcharges Taxes and Surcharges Have Been Ordered By Governmental Agencies. Network Access: This charge was ordered by the Federal Communications Commission and is billed to all residential and single line business customers. Businesses with multiple lines are billed slightly more per month, per line. This access charge was ordered by the FCC to help bring local service rates more in line with their actual cost.

California High Cost Fund – B (CHCF-B) provides support to carriers of last resort for providing telephone service to residential customers in rural high-cost areas. California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) provides a discount on select communications services to schools, libraries, hospitals and other non-profit organizations. California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) supports the deployment of broadband facilities and broadband services adoption in unserved and underserved areas through project specific grant funding.

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