What is the number portability service charge on my bill?
With changes to the Telecommunications Act in 1996 Congress directed local telephone companies to offer telephone number portability. Portability is a service that provides customers with the ability to retain, at the same location, their existing telephone number when switching from one local telephone service provider to another. In 1998 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that local telephone companies were allowed, but not required, to recover its costs of providing number portability through two kinds of charges: (1) charges to other telephone companies; and (2) a fixed monthly charge to telephone customers. Companies can only charge customers in areas where telephone number portability is available to all customers. Once the number portability charge is started it can be collected for only five years. All customers pay the charge whether they have requested number portability service or not.
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