Understanding the taxes, charges, and other fees included in UpCentral
Federal Universal Service Fund
UpCentral applies this charge to offset the mandatory contributions it makes to the federal Universal Service Fund. This
fund aims to ensure that telecommunications services are accessible and affordably priced for residents in rural and
high-cost regions, qualifying low-income consumers, rural medical facilities, as well as schools and libraries. While
Dialpad Communications is authorized to recoup these expenses from its clients, it isn't compelled to do so. The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) determines the relevant USF rate every quarter, and this rate may vary. For more
details, please refer to: Universal Service Fund | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov).
Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee
This fee aids UpCentral in offsetting certain expenses, including those imposed by the government like the Federal
Regulatory Fee, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), LNP, STI-GA, among others. The costs covered include:
i. Determining and settling various fees and taxes;
ii. Meeting regulatory obligations, encompassing aspects like accessibility, numbering, privacy, fraud prevention,
caller ID verification, dialing procedures, and more;
iii. Procuring and overseeing phone numbers, accepting calls from third-party network providers, and ending calls on
these networks;
iv. Certain network amenities and services, specific data centers, and the administration, safeguarding, and upkeep of
vital network frameworks and data centers;
v. Registering and upholding patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights, along with some administrative
costs linked to our services.
It's essential to note that this fee does not encompass federal or state Universal Service Fund charges. While many in
the industry impose this fee, it is neither a tax nor a government-mandated charge.
State and Local Taxes
Under this section, you'll find taxes and surcharges imposed by state, local, or municipal authorities. Take California
as an example: it places several charges on end-users. These encompass Local Utility Users Taxes and six obligatory
telecommunications all-end-user surcharges. These surcharges back a range of public initiatives, like the CA Teleconnect
Fund, which offers a 50% reduction on certain communication services for entities like schools, libraries, hospitals,
and other non-profit groups.
E911 Regulatory Recovery Fee
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates that UpCentral provide Emergency 911 (e911) services. The FCC
permits us to levy a recurring monthly charge to fund the advancements in software and hardware necessary for public
safety answering points (PSAPs) to dispatch help to a 911 caller's registered location.
For each UpCentral.io service line capable of making outbound calls, there's an e911 Regulatory Recovery fee of $0.99.
This E911 fee is billed monthly for every user. If you opt for annual billing, the charge for the entire year will be
applied at the point of purchase.
