Glossary of Long Distance Service Related Terms

NASC - 800 Number Administration and Service Center

The organization that administers the SMS/800 system for the reservation, registration and administration of all North American 800 numbers for all carriers.

National Access Contribution

Aka: Universal Service Fund Charge, Universal Service Charge, CHCF-A & CHCF-B. This charge started on January 1, 1998 as part of the FCC overhaul of telephone fees. All companies that provide telephone service between states pay a set percentage of their previous year's billings. The charge is designed to ensure affordable access to telecommunications services for telephone customers with low incomes, telephone customers who live in areas where the cost of providing telephone service is extremely high, libraries, schools, and rural health care providers. Although all companies providing interstate telephone service are charged the same percentage of their billings, companies are allowed to recharge you for this in any way they see fit, and each company uses a different method to charge this carrier specific fee. It is normally not presented to you in such a way that you would think it is a competitive pricing issue. But it is! Some companies do not charge this fee at all, some charge a carrier specific flat fee, others charge a percentage of your interstate and international usage, while others charge a percentage of your entire bill. We offer full details of the amazing differences in this rate on the Fees Comparison page. Although the charge the companies pay is in essence a tax, the fee on your bill is carrier specific, and is NOT a set tax. The telephone company keeps any difference between the USF fees they collect and the charge they pay to the Universal Service Fund. Click here to visit the FCC and to see the current contribution factor.

National Access Fee

Aka: National Access Fee, Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge, Presubscribed Line Charge, Regulatory Related Charge, or Carrier Line Charge. Pronounced "pixie." This charge started on January 1, 1998 as part of the FCC overhaul of telephone fees. Long distance companies pay a flat fee to the local telephone company when you pre-subscribe your telephone line to their long distance service. (Sometimes referred to "Dial 1" or "Plus 1" service) The charge is designed to compensate the local telephone companies for the costs associated with providing "local loop" service. If a consumer or business has not selected a long distance company for its telephone lines, the local telephone company may bill for the PICC. Although every long distance company is charged the same flat rate per line, long distance companies are allowed to recharge you for this in any way they see fit, and each company uses a different method to charge this carrier specific fee. It is normally not presented to you in such a way that you would think it is a competitive pricing issue. But it is! Some companies do not charge this fee at all, and some charge a carrier specific flat fee. We offer full details of the amazing differences in this rate on the Fees Comparison page. This is NOT a tax. Please note that on July 1, 2000 the FCC ruled that long distance companies no longer will have to pay this fee to local companies for residential lines, or single line businesses. The charge continues for multiple line businesses. Many long distance companies are still charging you for this, even though they aren't paying it anymore!

Network Access Charge For Interstate Calling

Aka: Federal Access Charge, Customer Line Charge, Interstate Access Charge, Interstate Single Line Charge, FCC Approved Customer Line Charge, Subscriber Line Charge or SLC. This federally ordered charge billed by your local telephone company pays part of the cost to the local telephone company of supplying a phone line into your home or business. It is designed to help local phone companies recover the cost of providing "local loops" which refers to outside telephone wires, underground conduit, telephone poles, and other equipment and facilities connecting you to the telephone network. This is NOT a tax. It is a charge that is part of the price you pay to your local telephone company. Neither the FCC nor any other government agency receives the Federal Subscriber Line Charge. The FCC places a maximum cap on this charge.

NNX

Network numbering exchange. The second set of three digits of a telephone number that designates a number to a specific central office.

Non Sent Paid

Calls that are alternatively billed to a third number, with a Calling Card, or as reversed collect charges.

NPA - Numbering Plan Areas

North American "Area Codes." (3 digits: 2-to-9, 0-or-1, 0-to-9. Middle digit to expand soon).

NPCC

Verizon's National Public Communications Center where billing, commissioning and order creation is done for PSPs.

NRCs

Non-recurring Charges, one-time charge or charges for additions and/or changes to your telephone service.

Number Portability

The ability of consumers to retain their existing telephone number(s) - and the same quality of service - when switching to a new local service provider.

Number Portability Service Charge

Aka: Number Portability Service Charge or LNP. This fee started to appear on many local telephone bills in February 1999. This fee allows local telephone companies to recover costs associated with supporting the technical capability to allow a consumer or business to retain their existing telephone number when switching to another local provider. Local companies are allowed, but not required, to pass on these costs. However most do. They are only allowed to charge this fee for five years from the first date they start to charge the fee, and are not allowed to start charging the fee until they can provide the ability to the end-user of retaining their phone number in the event of switching local telephone companies. Local telephone companies are required to make this "number portability" service available within 6 months of being requested to do so by another local telephone company wishing to service the area. This is NOT a tax. It is a charge that is part of the price you pay to your local telephone company. Neither the FCC nor any other government agency receives the Local Number Portability fee. Local telephone companies are not allowed to charge this fee for customers on the Lifeline Assistance Program.