Long Distance Glossary - Definitions of Long Distance Terms

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Long Distance Glossary

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Long Distance Phone Tips and Advice Center
Topic: Long Distance Glossary

See the subtopics menu for tips and advice about alternatives to traditional long distance phone service. For additional information about long distance phone service, see the topic list directly below.


Long Distance Topics

· Long Distance Explained	· Long Distance Alternatives	· VoIP Explained
· Long Distance FAQ	· Long Distance Glossary	· VoIP FAQ

Billing Increments: The unit of time that is used to calculate the cost of a phone call -- usually one minute, 30 seconds or six (6) seconds. Example: If a plan bills in one-minute increments and a specific phone call is 36 seconds long, the time of the call is rounded up to one minute. A plans that bills in six-second billing increments would bill that same 36-second call as a 36-second call, not a one-minute call as the previously mentioned hypothetical plan would. Calling plans that have smaller billing increments can save a customer money because of fractional charges like the hypothetical example above.

Calling Card: Allows customers to place calls from almost any telephone and have those calls charged to the same account. The process usually involves dialing a toll-free access telephone number and entering a personal identification (PIN) number before making the actual call.

Conference Call: A telephone meeting which involves three or more telephone lines connected by a central service.

Cramming: The practice of placing unauthorized, misleading, or deceptive charges on a customer’s telephone bill. Cramming is illegal -- Click here for more information on this topic.

Dial Around (10-10) Service: A specific type of long distance service that requires customers to dial an access code (i.e. a "10-10" number) before dialing the actual long distance number. This is done to bypass the customer’s current long distance carrier, usually to save money because of better rates.

Direct Dial (1+) Service: Usually a customer's main long distance phone service, or the long distance carrier that is accessed by default when a customer dials a long distance number (1 + area code + seven-digit number).

Local Toll Call: Also known as "intralata toll call" or "local long distance." A call that is too close to the originating location to be considered long distance but too far from the originating location to be considered local. Often times with local toll calls, a caller is required to dial "1" plus the area code for the call despite the fact that the call is within the same area code.

Minimum Call Length: The least amount of time (seconds or minutes) that a call must last. Example: If a customer makes a call that lasts one minute but his/her plan has a minimum call length of five minutes, he/she will be billed for a five-minute call despite the fact that the call was, in reality, only one minute long. Calling card providers and dial-around providers often utilize this type of requirement.

Monthly Fee: A fixed amount of money paid to a long distance carrier on a monthly basis simply for subscribing to or using its service. Some long distance plans carry a monthly fee, while others do not. Furthermore, some long distance plans carry a monthly fee that will be waived if a specified amount of calls are made in a given month. Example: A plan has a $5 monthly fee that is waived if at least $20 of calls are made during that month.

Monthly Minimum: The least amount of total monthly charges that a specific long distance plan requires. Example: If a specific long distance plan has a monthly minimum of $20 but only $15 worth of calls are made that month, that customer will still be charged $20. Any total under the monthly minimum is rounded up to meet that monthly minimum. Some long distance plans have monthly minimums while others do not.

Municipal Charge: A fee charged by a customer's local community to offset the costs of specific community services.

Number Portability: A term used to describe a customer's ability to retain his/her existing telephone phone number while switching carriers.

Number Portability Service Charge: A fee charged to a customer when that customer wishes to retain his/her existing telephone number when switching long distance carriers. Telephone companies may, but are not required to, charge this type of fee.

PIC Switching Fee: A fee charged by the local service provider when a customer changes long distance carriers. Some long distance carriers will reimburse this switching fee to customers.

Pre-Paid Calling Card: A type of calling card that contains a specified dollar amount or number of minutes that is paid for in advance.

Slamming: The term used to describe what occurs when a long distance customer's service is switched to another service without that customer's knowledge or consent. Slamming is illegal and violates FCC rules -- Click here for more information on this topic.

Toll Free Number: A toll free number allows the person or company receiving a call to pay for the call, rather than the caller. Currently, any phone number beginning with 800, 888, 877 or 866 is a toll free number. This type of number is often used for a comany's customer service line or in other situations where it is beneficial for the receiver to pay for the call, raller than the caller.

Universal Connectivity Charge (UCC): A fee, usually a percentage of a customer's total phone bill, charged to customers by some carriers to recover the cost of paying into the Universal Service Fund (USF). See below for more information on the USF.

Universal Service Fund (USF): A federal program adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that helps provide affordable telecommunications services for low-income customers and customers in rural areas. It also provides discounts on Internet access for eligible schools, libraries and rural health care providers. Telecommunications carriers are required to pay into this federal program.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocal): A term used to refer to the technology used to transmit voice over a network using the Internet Protocol. A method for taking analog audio signals (what you hear on a traditional phone) and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet.

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