Rategates´ Telecom Glossary

Minimum Call Length
Some telecommunications providers require that each call be at least some minimum number of minutes in length. The provider will charge you at for at least this minimum length of time independent of whether your call lasted that long or not. This is a very common tactic used by dial-around service providers. Minimum Monthly Bill
This is a non-technical term to identify the minimum amount you will be charged per month for a calling plan. This amount may include the monthly service charge, Monthly Minimum Usage Charge, PICC, and USF charges. Visit our Understanding Monthly Charges page for more information. Monthly Fee - See Monthly Service Charge Monthly Service Charge - Aka: Monthly Fee
Some calling plans charge you a per month fee simply for subscribing to or using its service. It is a set fee regardless of how many calls you make each month. The Monthly Service Charge differs from a Monthly Minimum Usage Charge fee. Visit our Understanding Monthly Charges page for more information. Monthly Minimum Usage Charge
This fee is charged by some carriers if your specific rate plan has volume requirements, meaning that you must make a certain dollar amount of calls per month. For example, a plan may require that you make at least $10.00 a month worth of phone calls. If you do not make $10.00 worth of calls, the carrier will charge you the difference as a fee. If, for instance, your plan requires a $10.00 minimum per month and you only made $6.00 of calls, you would see the remaining $4.00 as a monthly charge. The Monthly Minimum differs from the Monthly Service Fee. Visit our Understanding Monthly Charges page for more information.