With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Government mandated changes that were meant to promote competition in the telecom industry. Access fees have been lowered, yet the "BIG THREE" have consistently raised their rates. Side effects of "The Act" include the payphone surcharge, the new PICC surcharge, and the Universal Service Fund (USF) charge. What does it mean to you?

Errors, overcharges, and opportunities for future cost reduction!  At AUBA, we represent your company. We make sure that you are getting billed correctly at the lowest possible cost.

Links:

	Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Home Page  An extensive SEARCHABLE website with tons of information. Your tax dollars at work!  This is not the most reliable site on the web--if at first you don't get to the pages you want, try again later.
	FCC Common Carrier Reports  Be sure to check the Common Carrier Scorecard Annual Report for the last three years.   This is the third year of the common carrier scorecard, and it continues to improve. The 1998 scorecard is mandatory reading for anyone interested in the telecommunications industry.
	AT&T's explanation of new charges  AT&T makes the case for the USF charge that they "pass through" to consumers.  There are links to the history of Universal Service.  This is one perspective on local access charges