{
  "id": "RL30052",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL30052",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 105321,
      "date": "2005-01-06",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:59:06.167180",
      "title": "Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills",
      "summary": "Telephone bills are becoming more and more complex and such change and complexity occasion\ncongressional and regulatory attention as well as constituent requests for explanation of new charges\non their bills. As local telephone companies provide additional caller services and continue to act\nas billing agents for long-distance and information service providers, a customer's local bill can\ninclude charges for myriad options that did not exist a few years ago. Bills may now contain charges\nlabeled federal subscriber line charge, presubscribed interexchange carrier charge, \"national access\nfee,\" \"carrier line charge,\" \"federal universal service charge,\" or local telephone number portability. \nIn addition, customers may now receive bills for different telecommunications services from\ndifferent telecommunications service providers. \n  In the past, long-distance companies usually billed business customers directly and residential\ncustomers through a local phone company. Recently, long-distance companies have begun billing\nresidential customers directly. One bill has become two. Cellular telephone and personal\ncommunications services (PCS) providers, competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC), and paging\ncompanies usually send bills directly to the consumer. Some cable television companies are\nproviding local telephone service, and those charges may appear on a cable bill.\n  Although surveys show that consumers prefer one readable and understandable bill, there is no\nfederal regulation or law that dictates the layout or wording that is used on bills. This report lists and\ndescribes the possible basic charges that commonly appear on most local service telephone bills and\ndiscusses the practice of \"cramming,\" the appearance of unauthorized and possibly illegal charges\non telephone bills. An overview of various actions by the Federal Communications Commission\n(FCC) is also provided.\n  This report will be updated as events warrant.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5529/",
      "id": "RL30052 2003-05-02",
      "date": "2003-05-02",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T09:51:42",
      "title": "Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Telecommunication",
          "name": "Telecommunication"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Telephone rates",
          "name": "Telephone rates"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3495/",
      "id": "RL30052 2002-12-20",
      "date": "2002-12-20",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T09:50:39",
      "title": "Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Telecommunication",
          "name": "Telecommunication"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Telephone rates",
          "name": "Telephone rates"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3494/",
      "id": "RL30052 2002-08-02",
      "date": "2002-08-02",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T09:49:37",
      "title": "Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills",
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      "type": "CRS Report",
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          "name": "Telecommunication"
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        {
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          "id": "Telephone rates",
          "name": "Telephone rates"
        }
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3493/",
      "id": "RL30052 2002-06-12",
      "date": "2002-06-12",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T09:48:30",
      "title": "Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills",
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      "type": "CRS Report",
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        }
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