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Telephone Service > Telephone FAQ
Telephone FAQ
The Questions
The Answers
- Q. I am served by one of Maine’s independent rural phone companies – can I switch my local service?
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A. No. Smaller telephone companies were granted an exemption from local competition in the federal 1996 Telecommunications Act. Under that law, no local competition is allowed unless the PUC finds that it would be in the public interest. So far, no local service competitor has asked to serve in Maine’s rural telephone exchanges.
- Q. Who pays for the services of the Public Advocate?
- A. Each year, all utilities in Maine must pay a fee based on the their proportionate share of statewide utility revenues from utility operations in Maine. No general fund, or taxpayer money, is used by the Public Advocate. The Public Utilities Commission is funded in the same way, but it has a budget that is five times bigger.
- Q. How do I figure out which long-distance plan is best for me?
- A. If you can live with prepayment and limited (or no) access to your calling records, certain prepaid offers are the cheapest option. If you want regular subscribed service, start with the chart on pages 4 and 5. If you make approximately half instate and half state-to-state calls, one of the sample monthly usage results should closely predict the bill you would get under each featured plan. If you make mostly instate or mostly interstate calls, look for the plan with the best rate for that service. You may make a more precise comparison by figuring your average rate per minute: Take your current long-distance bill and divide the total amount of the bill (excluding taxes and local service charges) by the number of minutes used. Then compare that rate with rates on pages 4 and 5. Or, try our automatic plan selector on
- Q. If I switch my local service, who is responsible for maintaining my telephone line?
- A. Your new local phone company will have the same responsibility to keep your service in working order as Verizon does. In most cases, the local competitor will ask Verizon to do the physical work related to installation of service and maintenance of lines and poles. However, some local competitors use their own facilities to provide service and will do the work themselves.
- Q. If I switch my local phone service, will my name and number still appear in the Verizon directory?
- A. Yes
- Q. If I switch my instate and state-to-state long-distance company, how do I know when the switch was completed?
- A. For the identity of your instate company, dial 700-4141. For the identity of your state-to-state company, dial 1700-555-4141. Both are toll-free numbers. However, beware that some small long-distance companies use the facilities of other carriers, so, for example, if you use Touchtone Communications, you’ll hear a recording that identifies “Qwest”.
- Q. Why am I finding a new “MUSF” surcharge on my phone and wireless bill?
- A. The MUSF stands for the Maine Universal Service Fund, a new fund that was authorized by the Maine Legislature and the Maine PUC. The purpose of this fund is to provide additional revenue to some of Maine’s rural local phone companies when they cannot earn a fair return on their investment, even after raising their rates to the level charged by Verizon. Currently, the MUSF requires carriers to pay 1.7% of their instate revenues, but this contribution factor is expected to grow as more companies seek subsidies from this new fund.
- Q. My local telephone company is one of Maine's 23 independent rural local monopolies (as opposed to Verizon). Why are my rates increasing so much lately?
- A. The Maine Legislature has required the reduction of instate access charges (the fees paid by long-distance companies to local companies to complete long-distance phone calls). This has caused significant reductions in revenues for many of Maine's local phone companies. As a result, the Maine Public Utilities Commission has allowed local phone companies to recover these "lost" revenues by increasing their local rates. In addition, the PUC has required the expansion of many rural local calling areas around the state and is allowing rate increases to recover those costs as well.
- Q. I am charged toll rates when I call nearby places, such as other communities in our school district and other towns with essential services -- what can I do about this?
- A. The PUC's most recent calling area rule requires expansions of calling areas by including all adjacent telephone exchanges to be added to your local calling area. That rule will be fully implemented by December 15, 2003. If you still have a calling area concern after those expansions, the rule also allows any group of 50 customers within a single telephone exchange to petition the PUC to further expand a local calling area. The Commission will consider various factors, such as the existing traffic volume on the new proposed calling route, whether the route is within a school administrative district, and whether the route connects a significant community of interest. Customers interested in this process may call the Public Advocate for assistance.
- Q. Why am I required to pay an FCC Line Charge of $6.00 when I don’t even use long-distance service?
- A. The $6 Subscriber Line Charge (also known as “FCC line charge” or “end user common line charge”) is required by the FCC to allow local phone companies to recover some of the costs of providing access to the interstate long-distance network. This charge has increased substantially in recent years because the FCC has reduced per-minute access charges paid by long-distance companies and has required local phone customers to make up the difference. Even if you make few or no long-distance calls and even if you have no presubscribed long-distance provider at all, the FCC allows local companies to bill you for this charge every month. Based on current plans, the charge may become even higher in the future. If you feel this is unfair, you may contact your federal elected officials; only Congress can require the FCC to change its policies. However, the Public Advocate has been working with its national consumer advocacy affiliate to persuade the FCC to reverse course on this policy. We also presented evidence that the $6 fee is too high.
- Q. I am served by a rural independent local telephone company and can’t get some of the services available in Verizon territory – what can be done about that?
- A. Unfortunately, not much. New plans like MCI’s “The Neighborhood” (see p.3) represent local competition which currently cannot be offered in the service territory of independent local phone companies. In addition, some long-distance companies choose not to offer their calling plans in independent areas because costs are higher and profit margins are lower. However, some of the very best deals are offered everywhere in Maine (see p.1- “The Bottom Line”).
- Q. Can my local phone company disconnect my service if I fail to pay the long-distance portion of my bill?
- A. Not any more. Thanks to new rules recently adopted by the PUC, phone companies now cannot disconnect your service based on non-payment unless you failed to pay the basic telephone service charge. Therefore, if you cannot afford to pay your entire phone bill, always be sure to pay the full basic service charge before paying for long-distance or other non-basic services. If you are threatened with disconnection, you should call the PUC at 1-800-452-4699 to get assistance in setting up a payment arrangement or in resolving any disputes with the phone company.
- Q. If I want to change my long-distance phone company, do I need to notify my existing carrier?
- A. No. Normally, all that is necessary is one call to the new long-distance company that you’ve chosen. That company will make all the arrangements to have your local company complete the switch and usually the new long-distance company will even pay your local company’s $5 switching fee.
- Q. Is it a good idea to agree to change telephone companies when a telemarketer makes an interesting offer?
- A. No. If you agree to listen to a telephone solicitation and are pleased with the offer, you should insist on getting written materials describing the offer before agreeing to change your service. You should be aware that some telemarketers misrepresent calling plans or engage in slamming (switching your service without your authorization). It is unlikely that you’ll get an offer that is better than the best ones featured on pages 6 and 7 of this guide. One possible exception may be a cash payment inducing you to switch. However, if you cash a check from a phone company, make sure to read all the fine print on the check above your signature.
- Q. Can a phone company raise my rates without notifying me in advance?
- A. Maine law now requires long-distance companies to notify customers at least 25 days before any instate long-distance rate increase goes into effect. Customers have no obligation to pay rate increases when such notice has not been given. Local telephone companies may not raise local rates except by order of the Public Utilities Commission. The law does not cover state-to-state rates which have been largely deregulated by the FCC.
- Q. Am I required to have a long-distance service connected to my line?
- A. No. You may call your local phone company to “de-select” state-to-state long distance service, instate long distance service, or both. If you choose to have no presubscribed long distance service, you will still be able to receive long distance calls from any location and you may make long distance calls using either a prepaid calling card or a dial-around (10-10-XXX) service. If you want to change to a new long-distance provider, you need only to call the new company — and ask them to pay for the $5 fee for switching.
- Q. Why am I charged a toll call to reach my neighbor?
- A. If your neighbor lives in a different telephone exchange, which is not in your designated local calling area, toll charges apply. The differences in the size of local calling areas throughout Maine are more a product of historical events than a planned design. However, the PUC is currently considering how to expand local calling areas. One current proposal is to add adjacent exchanges (as an option) to all toll-free calling areas – along with associated rate increases.
- Q. Why do I get long distance charges when I call another number in my home city or town?
- A. You are entitled to toll-free calling within your municipality even if the called exchange is not in your local calling area (because of the Municipal Calling Service rule). Even though long-distance companies are generally unable to recognize those calls as “free”, you are entitled to a refund from those companies when they charge for municipal calls. Customers can avoid this problem by accessing Verizon’s network by dialing 10-10-698 before each municipal call. But never access Verizon in that manner for any other type of call because Verizon’s default rates can be as high as 45 cents for a single minute.
- Q. Should I be concerned about signing up with a phone company that I’ve never heard of?
- A. No, as long as you are not being asked to prepay for the service, you know the rates, and the company was recommended from a reliable source. As a general rule, the best rates are offered by smaller, less known companies, that don’t spend much on advertising. If you change your mind, switching services usually involves just a $5 fee and minimal effort. However, customers should avoid signing up with an unknown company making a telephone solicitation. Always ask for offers in writing before accepting any offer over the phone.
- Q. Does the Public Advocate vouch for the companies listed in the Ratewatcher Guide?
- A. No, the Public Advocate cannot guarantee the financial health or the level of customer service that will be provided by any phone company. However, we will not list companies that we know to be dishonest. In our experience, smaller, less known telephone companies often provide better customer service and charge lower rates than the big three. Unless you prepay, risks are minimal.
- Q. Should I shop for local service as well as long-distance service?
- A. Residential customers may be able to save a few dollars per month - - savings are limited because nearly all residential local service offers in Maine are from companies that simply resell Verizon’s service. However you may get all telephone services on one bill and there’s very little risk. Business customers may find greater savings.
- Q. If I switch my local service from Verizon to a competitive local phone company, can I keep my current DSL service?
- A. Probably not. Since DSL service is provided by the same copper wire that carries your voice phone service, you will not be able to keep your DSL service unless it is offered by your new competitive local phone company. It is possible to get voice and DSL from two different companies but current regulations in Maine do not require companies to split lines.
- Q. Why isn’t DSL or cable-internet service available at my location?
- A. Neither DSL nor cable-internet services are regulated. Unless the federal or state government takes action, the price and availability of these broadband services are subject only to private investment decisions. However, both state and federal programs provide high speed internet access in schools and libraries.
- Q. My mother always told me that it's dangerous to talk on the telephone during a lightning or thunderstorm -- was she right?
- A. Yes, you should avoid using the phone during an electric storm. An electric charge can travel through your phone line and cause an electric shock to your body. In the United States, several people die every year because they were talking on the phone during a storm. However, the good news is that cellular phones do not pose the same danger. Because there are no wires to conduct an electric charge, cell phones are safe to use during a storm, especially if you are in a car or otherwise protected from lightning.
- Q. The Ratewatcher Guide usually features a chart displaying Dial-Around (10-10) offers - Where is it?
- A. Given the drop in prices for the best presubscribed calling plans and prepaid calling accounts, we no longer recommend 10-10 dial-around options. For example, Vartec’s 10-10-811 has been very popular in Maine, but why pay a 50¢ per-call minimum plus a monthly USF surcharge and a 5¢/minute rate when you can beat the rate, avoid the minimum, and get a lower USF surcharge with a presubscribed calling plan? Using the best prepaid offer, you can get a much lower rate and avoid all surcharges and taxes too.
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