Billing Question ??

[voipinit]

POTS was allowed to have taxation without representation attached to it, so that was seen as a legal way to charge any fee or tax that officials want. Believe it or not, with the taxes/fees on telephone anything goes. If they wanted to add a health care tax/fee, or anything else, it just takes a swipe of the pen. It is only limited by imagination so don't be surprised when the tax on phone service is 100% + of the service itself. VOIP was left alone for awhile, but there is no way they were going to give that up forever. Mobile carriers will more than likely be the next target.

[B2ntx]

VoIPinit - you are so right.

<< If they wanted to add a health care tax/fee, or anything else, it just takes a swipe of the pen.>>

Actually, there already is a rural health care component of the Universal Service Fund! Check out "Rural Health Care Program" at the USAC.org website.

<<VOIP was left alone for awhile, but there is no way they were going to give that up forever. Mobile carriers will more than likely be the next target.>>

The wireless industry (mostly owned by telco holding companies) is actually putting up an excellent fight and has achieved some serious progress; it is the interconnected VoIP industry that is flirting with disaster by failing to defend against taxes and assessments. If they'd get their act together, they'd make sure taxes and assessments are levied strictly on physical layer services (like broadband access services) and keep the services and applications that ride over the top free of those encumbrances.

The big telcos don't have a century plus of wins under their collective belt because they are big, they win because they are diligent.

[burris]

Mobile carriers will more than likely be the next target.

My current Sprint bill is $42.97 and that includes $10.47 for taxes and fees and Sprint surcharges.

How much more of a target do they need to be?