De-PIC" If You Don't Make Many Long Distance Calls - Consumers today pay enormous fees and taxes on all their telecommunication bills. Just getting a long distance paper bill can include, for example, $1.50 a month charge for inclusion on your local bill. Additionally, many plans often require $5.00 (or more) in minimum spending per month. Other fees often include nearly 10% in surcharges on calls to support the Universal Service Fund, property tax fees, and 99ยข "regulatory assessment fees." It's hardly worth having a long distance company any more, especially if you primarily use your cell phone or if you are willing to use pre-paid calling cards or dial around companies. If you want to dump your long distance company and save, here is what you do: First, call your long distance company and cancel your long distance service. Second, call your local company and tell them you want to "De-PIC" or cancel all long distance service from your phone. There should be NO charges for these actions. Check periodically by trying to make a 1+ long distance call. If you don't get a recording saying you have not selected a long distance company, hang up immediately and call your local phone company again
WIRELESS WATCH
Wireless Long Distance Calling Challenging Traditional Long Distance - According to the Yankee Group, nearly one third of long distance calls previously made on traditional wireline phones are now being made on wireless phones. Thanks to wireless plans that include long distance at no additional charge, many consumers are now using their wireless phones exclusively for making long distance calls. This phenomenon, coupled with the decreasing use of payphones and calling cards, has encouraged long distance carriers to increase the rates and fees they charge to consumers who continue to use those options. To avoid these fees, be sure to look beyond the per-minute rates carriers offer on their long distance plans. Taxes and fees beyond normal usage charges can make up 20-40% of the average consumer's monthly bill. Consumers searching for the best wireless deal should also take into account their monthly calling habits when deciding which wireless plan to use. A good consumer tip is to divide your average minute use (over a three to four month period, for example) by the monthly recurring charge for a certain plan. The resulting quotient is the per-minute rate you would be paying based on your average calling habits.
WASHINGTON WATCH
New FCC Rules Make It Easier to Screen Out Telemarketers - Thanks to new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules that went in to effect Thursday, January 29, telemarketers are now required to transmit Caller ID information when making calls. In addition to making it easier for consumers to screen out unwanted calls, the new rules make it easier to track telemarketers who call people that have signed up on the National Do-Not-Registry. For more information on these rules, click here(iii).
Wireless Number Portability Complaint Figures Released - AT&T Wireless and Sprint PCS topped the list of wireless carriers generating complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding problems with wireless local number portability since the FCC's new rules took effect on November 24, 2003. In addition to AT&T Wireless's 2,297 complaints and Sprint PCS's 1,119 complaints, other carriers mentioned in at least 100 complaints include Verizon Wireless (739), Cingular Wireless (699), T-Mobile (625), Nextel (332), Qwest (195), and ALLTEL (119). For more information, click here(iv) .
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/resources/state.shtml
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