SBC Long Distance customers will soon see a new fee on their monthly bills

Some long distance phone customers in Oklahoma will be paying a new fee beginning in April. A few of them contacted the News on 6, asking what the new fee was and what it is for. <br/><br/>News on 6

Tuesday, March 22nd 2005, 10:18 am

By: News On 6

Some long distance phone customers in Oklahoma will be paying a new fee beginning in April. A few of them contacted the News on 6, asking what the new fee was and what it is for.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells says SBC long distance customers in Oklahoma are beginning to get a post card in the mail. What it does is announce that beginning April 1st SBC Long Distance will access an Oklahoma High Cost Fund fee on all in-state calls and monthly recurring calling plans.

For example, a customer who pays $10 a month for 200 minutes of long distance the fee would be $1.67. Here's how, SBC uses 60 percent of the calling plan charge because, 60 percent of the average customer's long distance calls are in-state long distance. SBC is permitted to charge 27.8 percent of that, or $1.67.

The High Cost Support Fund was established to ensure the same good quality phone service to small town and rural customers as the urban customers get. All long distance providers in Oklahoma pay into the fund, a total of $37-million.

Eligible companies can withdraw money from the fund to supplement their service. So beginning in April, SBC Long Distance customers will see the new HCF recovery fee charge show up on their bill, probably in the long distance section.

The High Cost Fund and the charges to support it are not new, they were authorized in 1996. SBC has been absorbing that cost, but the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has given SBC permission to pass this fee along to all its long distance customers, and so beginning April 1st they've decided to do it.

Once again, this charge applies to SBC long distance customers only. If you have questions about how it will affect you call SBC at 1-800-585-7928