3.1 Service Points
(a) The Company provides originating Service from domestic points in the United States to domestic points identified in these Rates, Terms and Conditions.
(b) The Company provides originating Service from domestic points in the United States to international points identified in these Rates, Terms and Conditions.
3.2 Measurements/Availability of Service
The Service is available at the rates listed in Sections 4 and 5, through subscription to any of the long distance service offerings available from the Company. Each of these offerings utilizes the same rate schedules but have different rates and billing increments for each of the rate schedules.
3.3 Timing of Calls
(a) Unless otherwise indicated in these Rates, Terms and Conditions, calls are timed by the Company in 60-second increments. "Ring-busy" and "ring-no-answer" calls will not knowingly be charged to the Customer and if charged in error, will be credited by the Company to the Customer. Timing begins at the "starting event" and ends at the "terminating event," unless otherwise specified. Time between the starting event and the terminating event is the call duration. The minimum call duration for a completed call is 60 seconds, unless otherwise specified.
(b) The starting event occurs when the Company's terminal experiences an "Incoming Signaling Protocol Successful," i.e., upon the seizure of an inbound trunk.
(c) The terminating event occurs when the Company's terminal receives a signal from the Local Exchange Carrier that either the calling party or the called party has hung up.
(d) There shall be no charge for unanswered calls. Upon receiving reasonable and adequate notice of billing from a Customer for any such call, the Company may issue a credit in an amount equal to the charge for the call. Calls which are in progress longer than one minute will be presumed to have been answered.
3.4 Method of Applying Rates
(a) Interstate Long Distance Services Unless specified otherwise in these Rates, Terms and Conditions, the duration of each call for billing purposes will be rounded off to the nearest higher 60 second increment.
When the minutes of use multiplied by the per minute rate of the call does not equal an even billing amount, the call will be rounded up to the next full penny (example, $2.465 would be rounded to $2.47).
(b) International Long Distance Services Unless specified otherwise in these Rates, Terms and Conditions, the duration of each call for billing purposes will be rounded off to the nearest higher 60 second increment.
When the minutes of use multiplied by the per minute rate of the call does not equal an even billing amount, the call will be rounded up to the next full penny (example, $2.465 would be rounded to $2.47).
3.5 Promotional Discounts
The Company may from time to time offer promotional discounts. Such discounts will be for a specified period of time, will not exceed published rates, and will be offered to all qualifying Customers.
3.6 Dialed Long Distance Services
(a) Dialed Long Distance Services are measured use, full time services utilizing interstate and international communications facilities. When appropriate access arrangements exist, these switched services are available on a presubscription (Equal Access) basis. Otherwise, where available, the Services require that a Customer access the Company's network via an alternative access code arrangement such as "950-XXXX" plus the Customer's security code, a toll-free "1-800" telephone number with the Customer's security code, or via "1-0-1-XXXX" code with Customer security code.
(b) Depending upon the service option chosen by the Customer, the charges for the use of such interstate or international communications facilities may be based upon the time of day, the total minutes of use and/or the distance of each call.
(c) All Customers shall be charged the rates identified in Sections 4 and 5.
(d) Domestic points include all 50 states and all U.S. territories and possessions as defined in the Communications Act of 1934, and as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and as further defined by the Federal Communications Commission in their orders.
3.7 Calling Card Service
Calling Card Service permits Customers which have arranged for a Company-issued calling card to make calling card calls throughout the domestic United States, and to and from international points through the use of a specific "1-800" telephone number provided by the Company. The rates for this service are provided for in Sections 4 and 5 herein.
3.8 800 Service
800 Service is a 1-way inbound service originating on feature group facilities provided by the Company and terminating on a regular telephone line. The Customer is responsible for payment of all charges associated with such terminating calls rather than the calling party.
3.9 Directory Assistance Service
The Company will provide Directory Assistance Service for the convenience of its customers in obtaining telephone numbers in the domestic United States. All Customers shall be charged the rates identified in Section 4.
3.10 Operator Services
The Company provides Operator Services for telephone calls initiated from its Customers’ locations through contractual relationships with interstate and international service providers. Operator Services provided by the Company include Interstate Operator Services and International Operator Services.
(a) Responsibilities of the Company For Operator Services
In addition to the responsibilities of the Company established elsewhere in the Rates, Terms and Conditions, the following responsibilities of the Company apply to Company provision of Operator Services.
- The Company shall identify itself, audibly and distinctly, to the Customer at the beginning of each telephone call and a second time before the Customer incurs any charge for the call.
- (The Company shall permit the Customer to terminate the telephone call at no charge before the call is connected.
- The Company shall disclose immediately to the Customer, upon request and at no charge to the Customer,
- A quote of its rates or charges for the call;
- The methods by which such rates or charges will be collected; and
- The methods by which complaints concerning such rates, charges, or collection practices will be resolved.
(b) Responsibilities of the Customer For Operator Services
In addition to the responsibilities and obligations of the Customer established elsewhere in the Rates, Terms and Conditions, the following responsibilities apply to Customer use of Company-provided Operator Services.
- The Customer is responsible for compliance with the applicable regulations set forth in these Rates, Terms and Conditions.
- The Customer is responsible for establishing his, her or their identity as often as necessary during the course of a call.
- The Customer is responsible for identifying the station, party, or person with whom communications is desired and/or made at the called number.
- The Customer is responsible for providing the Company with a valid method of billing for each call. The Company reserves the right to validate the credit worthiness of users through available credit card, calling card, called number, third party telephone number and room number verification procedures. Where a requested billing method cannot by validated, the user may be required to provide an acceptable alternate billing method or the Company may refuse to place the call.
(c) Billing Arrangements
- Collect, Calling Card and Third Party Calls
Charges for calls of this type will be included on the Billed Party's regular local telephone bill pursuant to billing and collection agreements established by the Company or its intermediary with the applicable telephone company or a bill issued directly by the Company or its billing and collection agent or clearing house. Individual types of billing arrangements may not be available for all types of Operator Services. Where a billing arrangement is not available for a call, the Company will not provide Operator Service. - Credit Card Calls
Charges for credit card calls will be included on the Billed Party's regular monthly statement from the card-issuing company. Where a billing arrangement is not available for the Company to bill for charges to a credit card, the Company will not provide Operator Service with respect to credit card calls. - Unanswered Calls
The Company will not bill for unanswered calls in areas where Equal Access is available, nor will the Company knowingly bill for unanswered telephone calls where Equal Access is not available. In the event that an unanswered call is inadvertently billed due to the unavailability of Equal Access, the Company will cancel or refund all such charges upon request of the Billed Party. Any call for which the billed duration exceeds one minute shall be presumed to have been answered. - Call Splashing
The Company will not engage in Call Splashing, unless the Customer requests to be transferred to another provider of Operator Services, the Customer is informed prior to incurring any charges that the rates for the call may not reflect the rates from the actual originating location of the call, and the Customer then consents to be transferred. - Billing Entity Conditions When billing functions on behalf of the Company are performed by local exchange telephone companies, credit card companies or others, the payment conditions and regulations of such companies apply, including any applicable interest and/or late payment charges. In case of any disputed charges which cannot be resolved by the billing company, the Billed Party may contact the Company directly. If there is still a disagreement about the disputed amount after investigation and review by the Carrier, the Billed Party may file an appropriate complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. The address of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is listed below:Telecommunications Consumers Division
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Room 5-A724
Washington, D.C. 20554Customers may file a complaint with the FCC Enforcement Bureau – Telecommunications Consumers Division.
(d) Description of Interstate Operator Services
The Company offers Interstate Operator Services pursuant to these Rates, Terms and Conditions. All Interstate Operator Services are offered for the purpose of completing interstate telephone calls to any 10-digit telephone number (area code plus 7-digit local number) in the United States.
- (i) The Company provides the following types of Interstate Operator Services:Collect Calls
Third Party Calls
Calling Card CallsDefinitions of these services are provided in Section 1.2 of the Rates, Terms and Conditions. - Person-to Person-CallsCollect Calls, Third Party Calls and Calling Card Calls for Interstate Operator Services may optionally be placed on a Person-to-Person Call basis. The caller must arrange with the operator to make a person-to-person call; otherwise, all calls will be treated as station-to-station.
(e) Description of International Operator Services
The Company offers International Operator Services pursuant to these Rates, Terms and Conditions. All International Operator Services are offered for the purpose of completing international telephone calls originating from the Untied States and terminating to international points.
The Company provides the following types of International Operator Services:
Third Party Calls
Calling Card Calls
Definitions of these services are provided in Section 1.2 of the Rates, Terms and Conditions.
3.11 Sandhill Calling Plans
(a) Sandhill Calling Plans are calling plans offered to residential customers for direct-dialed interstate toll calls. Sandhill Calling Plans include direct-dialed and incoming 800 Service calls. The nonrecurring charge to establish 800 Service is waived for Sandhill Calling Plan customers.
(b) Customers may choose from the following:
- Unlimited Domestic Long Distance – (No Call Detail Records). Must be bundled with local service from Sandhill Telephone Cooperative.
- Unlimited Domestic Long Distance – (With Call Detail Records). Must be bundled with local service from Sandhill Telephone Cooperative.
(c) Domestic points include all 50 states and all U.S. territories and possessions as defined in the Communications Act of 1934, and as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and as further defined by the Federal Communications Commission in their orders.
(d) The minimum service period is 1 month.
(e) All customers will be charged the rates identified in Section 4 herein.
3.12 Sandhill Business Rates
(a) Sandhill Business Rates are calling packages of minutes offered to business customers for direct-dialed interstate toll calls. The Sandhill Business Rates offer discounted per minute rates which vary according to volume. There is no monthly recurring fee.
Sandhill Business Rates include direct-dialed and incoming 800 Service calls. The nonrecurring charge to establish 800 Service is waived for Sandhill Business Rates customers.
(b) Sandhill Business Rates are discounted according to the following minutes of use:
Minutes of Use
1 to 1,000
1,001 to 3,000
3,001 to 5,000
5,001 to 15,000
15,001 to Over
(c) The minimum service period is 1 month.
(d) All customers will be charged the rates identified in Section 4 herein.
3.13 Payphone Origination Charge
(a) A Payphone Origination Charge applies to all completed consumer interstate long distance calls placed from a public/semi-public payphone which are not paid on a sent paid basis. The Charge applies to:
Calling card service
Collect calls
Third party billed
Directory Assistance calls
Pre-paid card service
Toll Free “1-8YY” Calls
(b) The Charge does not apply to:
Calls paid for by inserting coins Calls placed from stations other than public/semi-public payphones Calls placed to Telecommunications Relay Service for the hearing impaired Any calls for which the payphone provider is otherwise compensated pursuant to contract with the carrier.
(c) The Payphone Origination Charge rate is as specified in Section 4 herein.
3.14 Conference Bridge Service
(a) General Information
Conference Bridge Service is a teleconferencing service that provides for Customer-controlled teleconferencing capability through an assigned toll-free dial- number. The Customer can establish a teleconference with 2 to 10 conference parties via a touch-tone telephone from any intrastate location. This plan has a non-discountable monthly fee per billing account. Full minute billing increments apply.
(b) Regulations
Conference Bridge Service applies per billing account. All lines using the conference bridge are billed to one account.