As a result of action taken by the Federal Communications Commission that affects carriers nationwide, Innovative Telephone, Innovative Wireless and Innovative Long Distance customers will notice a change in the Federal Universal Service Charge effective Oct. 1.
The Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC) Surcharge Factor recovers the costs associated with Innovative Telephone’s contributions to the federal universal fund program. The government-mandated program is designed to help keep telephone service rates affordable for all customers in all areas of the United States. Effective Oct. 1, there will be an increase in the charge from 15.7 percent to 17.4 percent. For residential telephone customers and single-line business subscribers, the FUSC rate will increase from $1.10 to $1.22. Multi-line telephone business subscribers will experience an increase from $1.58 to $1.75 per line.
Effective Oct. 1, Innovative Telephone subscribers will also see a decrease in the Access Recovery Charge (ARC) from $.50 to $.04 for residential and single line businesses and from $1 for multi-line businesses to $.81.
The ARC is a component of the Federal Communications Commission’s program to provide affordable advanced telecommunications services to all Americans. The ARC recovers a portion of the Telephone Company’s Eligible Recovery as defined in the FCC’s Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CC Docket Nos. 96-45 and 01-92; GN Docket No. 09-51; WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135 and 10-90; and WT Docket No. 10-28 (76 FR 78384, 76 FR 76623).
Customers with questions regarding this notice should contact the Innovative Business Office at 779-9999. Innovative’s Business Office hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.