FCC TRS fee recovery rules

Several carriers are urging the FCC to reconsider its policy prohibiting carriers from identifying
the TRS fee as a separate line item on customer bills.  The issue is being raised in comments filed in response to the proposed Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) contribution factor for the funding year that starts July 1, 2013. 

 

If adopted, the Administrator’s proposal would increase the contribution factor by over 100% (from .01053 to 0.0233).  Bulletin subscribers: See TM’s FCC Bulletin dated 5/21/13

 

FCC rules currently allow providers to recover their TRS costs from subscribers, but only by incorporating their TRS contribution costs into the price of their interstate telephone services or by adding them to a generic additional charge such as a carrier cost recovery charge. 

 

Since carriers had no way to anticipate the large increase now proposed, COMPTEL, IDT Telecom, Inc., Intermedia.net. Vocalcity, Inc., and Vonage Holdings Corp. are asking the FCC to reconsider its policy and authorize carriers to specifically identify the TRS contribution on their customer bills as a separate line item. 

 

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