IIn addition to the service charges billed for Junction Networks Services, surcharges, taxes, fees and other charges may be applied to your monthly invoice and any monetary additions to your Prepaid Balance, based on the type of service you have, your geographic location and customer-entered 9-digit zip code, among other factors, Examples include, but are not limited to:
A charge entitled “Regulatory Recovery Fee” will apply to certain amounts collected by Junction Networks. This charge is being imposed to recover costs associated with compliance with certain federal regulatory requirements and fees including (i) costs Junction Networks incurs administering, billing, collecting, and making required regulatory filings and payments, and complying with certain federal regulatory obligations; (ii) regulatory surcharges Junction Networks pays to the providers of telecommunications that Junction Networks uses to provide its services, and (iii) Junction Networks’ contributions to the Federal Universal Service Fund imposed by FCC.
Junction Networks uses this fee to recover certain of its costs associated with compliance with regulatory, legal and tax requirements including without limitation: 1) fees Junction Networks is required to pay to support the Telecommunications Relay Service (“TRS”) fund; (2) regulatory fees assessed by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”); (3) costs Junction Networks incurs in administering, billing, collecting and making required tax and regulatory filings and complying with certain federal regulatory obligations; (4) contributions to the Federal Universal Service Fund imposed by the FCC; (5) costs of providing local number portability and contributions to the Local Number Portability Administration imposed by the FCC; (6) contributions to the North American Numbering Program Administration imposed by the FCC; and (7) regulatory surcharges Junction Networks pays to the providers of telecommunications services that Junction Networks uses to provide its services.
Junction Networks uses this fee to recover its costs of providing 911 service for Junction Networks customers as required by FCC regulations.
The Telecommunications Relay Services (“TRS”) Fund was established by the FCC in 1993 to reimburse TRS providers for the cost of providing interstate TRS services. TRS services are telephone transmission services that provide hearing or speech challenged individuals with the ability to use a traditional telephone.
Under the FCC’s rules, Junction Networks must contribute a percentage of its interstate and international end-user telecommunications services and Interconnected and Non Interconnected VoIP revenues to the TRS Fund. And, Junction Networks may collect these fees from customers. The contribution percentage varies annually.
Local Number Portability (“LNP”) is a customer’s ability to keep existing phone numbers when switching to another service provider. Junction Networks must provide LNP, as well as contribute to the FCC’s LNPA program, designed to diffuse the costs of administering LNP. Junction Networks pays a proportionate share of the LNP costs in each region in which it operates and has customers. This fee varies frequently by region.
The North American Numbering Plan (“NANP”) is an integrated telephone numbering plan for the Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) serving multiple countries including the United States and its territories. It is administered by the North American Numbering Plan Administration (“NANPA”).
Under the FCC’s rules, Junction Networks must contribute to the costs of numbering administration. Contributions are based on a percentage of Junction Networks’ revenues from customers using international, intrastate and interstate services. The percentage varies annually.
Junction Networks, as an interstate service provider, must pay an annual regulatory fee to the FCC. This fee varies annually.
These charges include taxes, fees and surcharges imposed by state, county, parish, borough, district and municipal governments, such as state universal service funds, state TRS funds, local 911 services (that are not included as part of the 911 Service Fee), sales and utility taxes and other local taxes, fees and surcharges.
Some states and localities require Junction Networks to collect a fee to help support state and local Enhanced 911 (E-911) Funds. These funds support state and local 911 services. These fees vary by state and locality. Junction Networks collects these fees from customers and remits them to the various fund administrators.
Junction Networks may also be required to contribute to State Universal Service Funds. The funds may be used to assist in providing universal service and to support a variety of other programs at the state level. Junction Networks collects applicable charges from customers. These charges are permissible pass-through fees but are not taxes or charges mandated by the government.
Some states also require contributions to state Telecommunications Relay Services (“TRS”) funds to offset the cost of providing local transmission services that provide hearing or speech challenged individuals with the ability to use a traditional telephone. Many states require Junction Networks to collect this fee and remit it to the governing authority. Junction Networks collects applicable fees from customers and remits them to the relevant authorities.
