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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Check phone bill charges
via Internet or telephone

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Question: Why are there so many charges on my Verizon phone bill -- five for regular local calls and seven charges for basic services? Do they provide an explanation of FED USF (Federal Universal Service Fund) and other charges?

Answer: Charges and taxes will vary according to what services a customer has ordered, noted Verizon Hawaii spokeswoman Ann Nishida.

If you have access to the Internet, check out www.verizon.com, click on Online Help, then Account and Billing. You can also call the Consumer Sales & Solutions Center at 643-3343 for residential questions or 643-4411 for business queries.

Nishida provided "Kokua Line" readers with a sample list of most of the line items residential customers may see on their monthly bills:

1) Federal excise tax: This tax on most local and long-distance service is currently 3 percent, which Verizon collects, then pays entirely to the Internal Revenue Service.

2) Federal Universal Service Fund (FED USF) charge: This surcharge is required by the Federal Communications Commission to support telecommunications services to schools, public libraries and rural health-care facilities. It also subsidizes service to high-cost areas and low-income customers.

3) 911 emergency service fee: This fee pays for local 911 emergency service and, in most areas, the ability to obtain the caller's street address.

4) Telecommunications relay service: This charge pays for a state and federally required relay service, which transmits and translates calls for people with hearing and/or speech disabilities.

5) General excise tax: This tax, required by state law, is collected by Verizon and paid to the state.

6) Public Utilities Commission fee: This fee covers part of the state requirements to fund the PUC and the Division of Consumer Advocacy.

7) Local number portability surcharge: This charge provides customers with the ability to retain their telephone number even if they switch to another service provider.

8) Subscriber line charge: This helps to recover costs for outside telephone wires, underground conduits, poles and other necessary facilities and equipment, as well as long-distance service.

9) Intrastate surcharge: This is an interim measure -- 11.23 percent of a customer's total in-state charges -- which covers the increased costs of operations. (See the April 23 "Kokua Line.")

Mahalo

To whoever -- the state Department of Transportation or city Department of Transportation Services -- thought up the idea of putting a speed monitor that records the speed of vehicles as they come off the H-1 freeway at the Bingham Street offramp. It really helps to slow down traffic. -- James

(The credit should go to the Honolulu Police Department.)

Auwe

To the lady driving a Corolla station wagon who was on the onramp to Kalanianaole Highway from Waialae Avenue about 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 30. I almost hit you, and you had the nerve to tell me when I caught up with you at a stoplight: "Oh, I saw you. I thought you were going to yield." Lady, you had a yield sign a few feet back, so if you opened your eyes, you would have seen it. Please be careful. Luckily nobody got hurt, and luckily you had no children with you. -- Angry driver

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Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com