Frequently Asked Questions: Glossary of Terms
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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9-1-1 Fee
A fee used to fund the 9-1-1 telephone network that allows callers to reach a public safety agency when they dial the digits “9-1-1.” The amount of the fee varies by region and is set by the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications.
9-1-1 Equalization Fee
A fee used to provide financial support for regions where the 9-1-1 fee does not fully offset the cost of 9-1-1 service. The fee is imposed on each customer receiving intrastate long-distance service. The fee is set by the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications.
A
Access Line Charge
The Access Line Charge is for basic local exchange services and facilities only. The charge is for a minimum period of one month, payable in advance, and provides unlimited flat rate calling within the exchange area.
B
Bandwidth
The relative range of analog frequencies or digital signals that can be passed through a transmission medium, such as glass fibers, without distortion. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the information carrying capacity. Bandwidth is measured in Hertz (analog) or Bits Per Second (digital).
BNS
Billed Number Screening. A service that blocks certain types of calls and allows subscribers to identify who can and cannot charge a call to their phone. This is primarily used to block third-party calls and collect calls.
C
CCF
Custom Calling Features. The basic custom calling features now available to subscribers include Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Abbreviated Dialing, Three-Way Calling, etc. These revenue-generating features are available from the central office, and do not require any special customer premises equipment.
CIC
Carrier Identification Code. Four-digit number that identifies which interexchange carrier a call will use. Subscribers can dial these digits with each long distance call, or can presubscribe to a particular carrier and let the digital switch software add the CIC
CLASS Features
Custom Local Area Signaling Services. A group of specialized calling features that include Calling Line Information (CLI) to the call destination. examples of CLASS features include Caller ID, Automatic Call Back, Message Waiting, and distinctive ringing and call waiting tones.
CO
Central Office. The building in which telephone companies locate their switching equipment and terminate their circuits. The local central office receives calls from within the local area and either routes them locally or passes them to an interexchange carrier (IXC). On the receiving end, the local central office receives calls that originated in other areas from the IXC
CPE
Customer Premise Equipment. The telecommunications equipment on a customer's premises located behind the interface device.
Crossbill
Charges from 2 or more phones that are collected and billed to a single phone number.
D
DA
Directory Assistance. The information operator from our phone company.
DCO
Digital Central Office. The physical facility where calls are switched using digital switches (rather then analog) that route both voice and data.
DID
Direct Inward Dialing. The feature of Centrex systems and large PBXs that allows a caller outside a company to call an internal extension without going through the switchboard.
DSL
Digital Subscriber Line. A type of high-speed Internet connection. DSL refers to the technology used between a customer's premises and the telephone company, enabling more bandwidth, over the already installed copper telephone cables. The telephone lines are transformed into high speed DSL lines by installing special equipment at the CO and a DSL modem or router at your home or business.
F
Federal Excise Tax
Federal tax assessed on non-usage sensitive basic local service that is billed separately from long distance service. May be abbreviated as “Fed excise tax.”
Federal Subscriber Line Charge
A charge that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows a certified telecommunications utility (CTU) to impose on its customers to recover costs associated with interstate access to the local telecommunications networks. The FCC does not require a CTU company to impose this charge, and the CTU does not remit the charge to the federal government. The charge may be used by the CTU to pay for a part of the cost of lines, wires, poles, conduit, equipment and facilities that provide interstate access to the local telecommunications network. May be abbreviated as “Fed subscriber line chg.”
Federal Universal Service Fee
A federal fee for a fund that supports affordable basic phone service to all Americans, including low-income customer, schools, libraries, and rural health care providers. Certified telecommunications utilities (CTUs) impose this fee to cover their required support for the fund. The fee is set by the FCC. May be abbreviated as “Fed universal svc fee.”
I
InterLATA
Calls across LATA boundaries. Calls that originate in one LATA and terminate in another LATA.
IntraLATA
Calls inside a LATA boundary. See LATA
IXC
Interexchange carrier. Long-distance telephone company such as AT&T, MCI, Sprint.
L
LATA
Local Access and Transport Area. The geographic area that is the domain of the local exchange carrier. Bell Operating Companies are generally precluded from carrying traffic across LATA boundaries.
LEC
Local Exchange Carrier. The local phone company that is responsible for delivering calls within a local area. Can be a telephone company affiliate of a Regional Bell Operating Company, or an independent telephone company.
Line Connection Charge
Work associated with the connection of the line extending from the serving central office to the customer’s premises. It includes, but is not limited to, establishing or changing central office connections, cable cross connections, line transfers and connecting to a terminal or building terminal or moving the drop wire or protector block.
Local Number Portability (LNP) Charge
Charge assessed by the local telephone company to recover costs directly related to providing LNP. The charge recovers the cost of creating new facilities, the cost of upgrading the network to accommodate number portability, and allows the customers to keep their phone numbers even if they switch local service providers. Lifeline customers are exempt from this charge and shall not be assessed the LNP charge.
M
Municipal Right-of-Way Fee
A fee used to compensate municipalities for use of their rights-of-way. May be abbreviated as “Municipal ROW fee.”
N
Non-pub
Non-published directory listing for a phone number. Non -pub refers to a listing that is printed in the telephone directory, but is not given out by the information operator.
NPA
Numbering Plan Area. Another name for area code, to identify the area of the country. The three-digit NPA is the first part of every phone number in the North American Numbering Plan. In the number 254-893-2003, the NPA would be 254.
NXX
Exchange. A three-digit central office code. To designate to which switch the subscriber is connected In the number 254-893-2003, the NXX would be 893. The last four digits designate the individual subscriber line.
O
OCC
Other Charges and Credits. Any non-recurring charges, such as an installation charge and petty cash.
OCP
Optional Calling Plans. Different ways of selling long distance service, usually for monthly service. Basic long distance service packages are differentiated by several key factors: access , pricing and fees. Pricing per minute of long distance service can be based on mileage, geographical area, area code, LATA, or flat rate-with or without term discounts or volume discounts. For example, Select save, True USA, True Reach and Select Saver are calling plans featuring different rates. The subscriber is free to change between calling plans at will.
OPE
Off-Premise Extension. When a phone extension is physically located in a different structure than the main phone. Such as an office phone number ringing after hours in the owner's house.
P
Physical Address
The county assigned description of a location. For city location, can be as obvious as street number and address, but if location is a rural area, may involve map and plot number from county.
PIC
Preferred Interstate Carrier (same as CIC) Primary Carrier for interstate long distance calls. This is the default carrier, and determines the call route if the subscriber doesn't dial a separate access code.
PIN
Personal Identification Number
POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service, a dial tone with no special features.
Primary Service Order Charge
Work performed in connection with the receiving, recording, and processing a customer request for service to be performed or provided at the same time, on the same account and on the same premises. One Service Ordering Charge is applicable per access line connection.
R
RC
Recurring Charges -charges that repeat every month (subscription charges) different from charges that change with use, such as toll charges.
S
Service Order
A request to add, delete or change subscriber line information stored in the Subscriber database.
Slamming
The practice of switching a telephone customers long distance supplier without obtaining permission from the customer. A long distance company might do this to get itself some easy revenues.
T
Texas Universal Service
A state fee for a fund that suports affordable service to customers in high-cost rural areas, funds the Relay Texas service and related assistance for the hearing-disabled, and funds telecommunications services discounts for low-income customers (Lifeline). The fee is set by the Public Utility Commission.