Does PNG charge Federal PICC fees and USF charges?
On July 1, 2000, the FCC eliminated the Federal PICC charges on all residential customer accounts. Some carriers have continued to pass these charges on to their customers, usually disguised under another name, but PNG has not followed suit. We do not charge any PICC charges on residential accounts, or on single-line business accounts. Federal PICC charges are still in effect on multi-line business accounts. The PICC charge on multi-line accounts is $4.31 per line, starting with the second line. USF charges stands for Universal Service Fund. This Federal tax of 9.9% is used to place the Internet in public schools and libraries, as well as to pay the phone bills of people who cannot afford to have a telephone. All long distance carriers must contribute to the USF fund, but they have the option of passing this on as a separate item or incorporating it into their per minute rate or monthly fee. PNG lists the USF charge as a separate item on the bill.
