[asterisk-biz] USF Recovery Fee

[Trixter Aka Bret McDanel]

Its not required tob pass it along but most do.  The 'carriers carrier' exemption does not apply to itsps until next year, where if you resell minutes you would be exempt (As of aug 1 you had to be certified to avoid double billing on usf - that lasts 2 quarters).

If you see a usf surcharge it cannot exceed actual costs for that line item  Currently its 10.5% and can change every quarter.

As of aug 1 any entity doing voip in the us has to have a frn (fcc registration number) and file 499 forms each quarter.  Payments are only made if you have at least $10k/year in contributions.

Pc to pc calls qualify, and there is a 100% safe harbor, meaning you pay usf on 100% of your revenue.  After 2 quarters its only on 'end users' not resellers so you can be more competitive  next year.

Of course this only applies to interconnected voip providers, and you have to have revenue so googletalk and freeworld dialup don't qualify currently but vonage and skype do.  Vonage gets to pay close to $30 million/year at the current rate...  Joe bob who does $100k/year pays nothing but still must file.

And of course you have to do us business for this to matter.

You can change the safe harbor if you certify a test, and the test has to be approved under the same rules as cmrs (mobile phone) providers.  This is generally a pain but odds are vonage will do it cause 3% is still a million dollars per year.  Smaler companies may not find it cost effective to certify.


-----Original Message-----
From: "jay kordic" <jay at thehorizongroup.biz>
To: "'Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion'" <asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com>
Sent: 8/29/06 1:41 PM
Subject: RE: [asterisk-biz] USF Recovery Fee


It is mandatory that carriers start paying the USF recovery fee (6.5-6.8%)
no later than 10/1/06.If they are paying that fee,they will be passing it
along to you.

Jay Kordic
The Horizon Group


-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Sas Sunder
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 1:35 PM
To: asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com
Subject: [asterisk-biz] USF Recovery Fee

Hi,

We are being charged a USF recovery fee recently. Do all carriers regardless

ofl ocation have to pay this fee if sending traffic to US providers? Or is 
this charged only by some US providers?

Thank you,

Sas

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