UpCentral applies this charge to offset the mandatory contributions it makes to the federal Universal Service Fund. This fund aims to ensure that telecommunications services are accessible and affordably priced for residents in rural and high-cost regions, qualifying low-income consumers, rural medical facilities, as well as schools and libraries. While Dialpad Communications is authorized to recoup these expenses from its clients, it isn't compelled to do so. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines the relevant USF rate every quarter, and this rate may vary. For more details, please refer to: Universal Service Fund | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov).

This fee aids UpCentral in offsetting certain expenses, including those imposed by the government like the Federal Regulatory Fee, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), LNP, STI-GA, among others. The costs covered include:

i. Determining and settling various fees and taxes;

ii. Meeting regulatory obligations, encompassing aspects like accessibility, numbering, privacy, fraud prevention, caller ID verification, dialing procedures, and more;

iii. Procuring and overseeing phone numbers, accepting calls from third-party network providers, and ending calls on these networks;

iv. Certain network amenities and services, specific data centers, and the administration, safeguarding, and upkeep of vital network frameworks and data centers;

v. Registering and upholding patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights, along with some administrative costs linked to our services.

It's essential to note that this fee does not encompass federal or state Universal Service Fund charges. While many in the industry impose this fee, it is neither a tax nor a government-mandated charge.

Under this section, you'll find taxes and surcharges imposed by state, local, or municipal authorities. Take California as an example: it places several charges on end-users. These encompass Local Utility Users Taxes and six obligatory telecommunications all-end-user surcharges. These surcharges back a range of public initiatives, like the CA Teleconnect Fund, which offers a 50% reduction on certain communication services for entities like schools, libraries, hospitals, and other non-profit groups.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates that UpCentral provide Emergency 911 (e911) services. The FCC permits us to levy a recurring monthly charge to fund the advancements in software and hardware necessary for public safety answering points (PSAPs) to dispatch help to a 911 caller's registered location.
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For each UpCentral.io service line capable of making outbound calls, there's an e911 Regulatory Recovery fee of $0.99. This E911 fee is billed monthly for every user. If you opt for annual billing, the charge for the entire year will be applied at the point of purchase.