Glossary of Long Distance Service Related Terms

Unbundled Loop

Loop Service is provided to those CLECs who have their own Port (Central Office) facilities, but require loop (field cable facilities) to the End User. The CLEC will be required to access our loop by supplying Verizon ILEC with a connection point within a Verizon ILEC Central Office. With loop service, Verizon ILEC does not provide the End User with trunking, switching, dial tone, or the telephone number. The CLEC provides these via the connections point (collocation or virtual). If the End User wants to retain his or her Verizon telephone number, the CLEC must also request Service Provider Number Portability. When Verizon ILEC resells unbundled lop, the CLEC is responsible for providing the End User's 911-database feed.

Unbundled Port

Port service is provided to those CLECs who have their own loops (cable facilities) to the end user but require central office switching capabilities, including a Verizon phone number. When Verizon (ILEC) resells an unbundled port, the CLEC becomes responsible for providing the End User's 911-database feed.

Unbundled Sub-Loop

A CLEC may request only the portion of a loop from the Central Office to a Cross Connect Box (Distribution Sub-loop) or the portion of a loop from the Cross Connect Box to the End User's premise. A CLEC can establish a Remote Central office next to a Cross Connection box and establish a collocation point within the terminal to have access to distribution cable facilities that serve an entire neighborhood(s).

Universal Connectivity Charge

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.

Universal Service Charge

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.

Universal Service Fund Charge

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.

Usage Sensitive Service

Method of billing for network services in which caller pays for the amount of time spent using the service.

USF - 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.