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New FCC Regulations About Long Distance Charges Affect CapTel

Effective January 12, 2006, a new regulation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that any long distance charges associated with TRS calls, including CapTel calls, must be billed to the caller. This ruling affects both regular TRS calls as well as CapTel.

This means, if you make a long distance call on your CapTel phone (or if you are calling a CapTel user and the call is long distance), any long distance charges will be billed to your local telephone number.

The long distance provider you have chosen for your home service is NOT automatically applied to CapTel calls. To make sure long distance charges are billed through your existing long distance service or calling plan, you must register your long distance service with CapTel Customer Service to indicate which long distance company should be billed.

Please note: This ruling affects long distance calls only, and these charges do not apply to Federal CapTel users. There is never any charge for using the CapTel captioning service.

If you have any questions when you receive your phone bill, please contact your local phone service provider. To register your long distance provider with Captel Customer Service, contact:

CapTel Customer Service
Email: CapTel@CapTelMail.com
Toll-free: 1-888-269-7477 Voice/CapTel
En español: 1-866-670-9134
TTY: 1-800-482-2424
Fax: (608) 238-3008

 

For More Information:

 

Why did the FCC require this change in long distance billing?
For more information about this new FCC regulation, please see the following document on the FCC site:
DA-05-2066A1 (PDF)
How much will I be billed for long distance charges?
CapTel does not have any jurisdiction over the long distance rates for TRS. These are determined between the state and TRS provider. To make sure that long distance charges are billed at the rate offered by your established calling plan, you must register your long distance provider with CapTel Customer Service. That way, any long distance charges will automatically be billed under your arrangements with your long distance carrier.
Can I use my discounted calling plan from my long distance company for these charges?
Yes. If you have a discounted calling plan from your long distance company, please contact CapTel Customer Service to register your plan, so that your calls will be routed to your long distance carrier.
Can I use the CapTel phone with a Calling Card?

Yes, you can use your CapTel phone with a calling card. Calling cards can be purchased at any discount store that sells cards and are available with various minute allowances. To make a CapTel call using a calling card:

  1. Dial the calling card's 800 number using your CapTel phone.
  2. CapTel service connects you to the calling card's 800 phone number.
  3. Input the calling card information on the CapTel number keypad directly as instructed.
  4. You will then be asked to press the phone number you wish to connect to.
  5. Your conversation will be paid for via the calling card.

Exception:
Calling an 800 calling card number, then dialing the Toll-Free CapTel Service number (as with Voice in or CapTel-to-CapTel calls). You may receive a message saying your call cannot be completed as dialed because the system recognizes that billing charges do not apply for an 800 to 800 number. Try dialing the Captioning Service FIRST, the calling card SECOND, and then the number you are calling. People who call you can also follow this method to use a calling card when placing their call to you.

How do I tell CapTel which long distance company to use?
You can let CapTel Customer Service know which long distance carrier you would like to use by any of the following means:
  • Via the web using our carrier choice form
  • By fax. Print and send the completed form to:
    (608) 238-3008.
  • By phone:
    (888) 269-7477 Voice/CapTel
    (866) 670-9134 En español
What happens if I don't indicate a long distance carrier?
If you do not inform CapTel customer service of which long distance service you want to use, any long distance calls made on your CapTel phone will be charged under the long distance service your state relay provider uses (varies by state).
What happens when other people call me?

For billing purposes, incoming calls to your CapTel phone are treated like any other calls. If the person is calling you via long distance, they will be billed for the long distance call (not you). If they are calling you locally, no long distance charges will apply.

If people call your CapTel phone frequently via long distance, encourage them to contact CapTel Customer Service to register their preferred long distance carrier. That way, whenever they call your CapTel phone, any long distance charges will be billed appropriately under their existing long distance service or calling plan. If they do not specify a carrier of choice with CapTel Customer Service, any long distance captioned calls they make to you will be charged on their phone bill under the long distance service that your state uses for Relay (varies by state).

Please ask your callers to contact CapTel Customer Service if they have questions.

Which calls are affected by long distance charges?
  • Only long distance calls that are captioned are affected by the new FCC requirements. Local calls and calls to toll-free telephone numbers are not affected.
  • Long distance calls that are NOT captioned are billed in the same way that any other long distance call is currently billed to you.
  • People who place long distance calls to your CapTel phone (through the Captioning Service) will incur long distance charges. Encourage people who call you often via long distance to contact CapTel Customer Service to register their preferred carrier of choice.
  • The Federal Relay program covers any long distance charges for Federal CapTel, so Federal CapTel users do not need to indicate a long distance carrier of choice.

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