New FUSF Fee on Verizon Online DSL Service

Verizon ^ | 23 Jun 04 | I got the rope

[I got the rope]

Dear Valued Verizon Online DSL Member,

We'd like to inform you of an important charge that will affect your Verizon Online DSL bill.

Starting June 1, 2004, Verizon Online will begin adding a monthly Supplier Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF) Recovery fee on DSL Service.

Verizon Online is assessed the FUSF fee by its suppliers (companies that provide the network services Verizon Online uses to bring you DSL service), which are required to contribute to the Federal Universal Service Fund on revenues they receive for transporting Internet services over telephone lines.

The fee will be no greater than the current quarterly rate set by the Federal Communications Commission to cover the FUSF fees Verizon Online pays to its suppliers. For the vast majority of our customers, the fee will be between $2.00-$3.00. Some customers with higher-grade DSL services, primarily business customers, will pay more depending on their type of service.

While the price of your Verizon Online DSL Internet service itself will be the same, your bill will now include this new additional monthly charge.

More information is available online at www.verizon.net/fusf.

Thank you for choosing high-speed Verizon Online DSL. We value your business.

Sincerely,

Verizon Online

[I got the rope]

Just received this email. When did this happen? Al Gore... you suck. Anyone who voted for this sucks too.

[Diogenesis]

THIS IS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

These taxes were NOT passed by Congress but by the FCC and Powell.

[Spaulding]

Wonder if the newly advertised Comcast DSL at $29.95 will reflect the same adder? I believe it includes a dish for satellite video service as well. These promotions usually fall back to prices equivalent to the competition after three months or so. I haven't gotten so far as to read the fine print, but this appears to be competition. It doesn't address the core issue of a little tax here, a little tax there.

[So Cal Rocket]

This stems from the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerry amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that mandated discounted telecommunications services for K-12, libraries and rural health institutions.

[plain talk]

FCC but before Powell's time. Reed Hundt, Clinton FCC chairman buttboy did it.

[Prime Choice]

Contact your Public Utilities Commission and inquire about the legality of this. Something about this whole thing stinks.

[Mark]

Starting to feel like you are a cigarette smoker yet? Government is a wonderful thingy.

[nh1]

I bet they are sending out the email due to calls.

I called them as soon as my bill came and I saw there was another fee. I'm sick of it.

The phone bill is even worse. I have the freedom plan which has unlimited local, regional and long distance calls for $54.95. When all of the fees and taxes are include it's $69.00. That's over 25%, and $1.71 of it is more FUSF.

[I got the rope]

I've read the Universal Telecommunications Act but I did not see where the internet was included in the tax. Did Reed Hundt and Clinton make this decision to go into effect 1 Jun 04?

[Arthalion]

Hmm, I use SBC for my local, long distance, and DSL services. If all of these services are just bits flowing over the same copper wires, how can I be taxed twice for them? The only difference between my DSL service and my phone service is the frequency of the signal...the pulses flowing over the wires are indistinguishable from one another. This should be challenged in court and shot down.