.15 Option M (MCI 900 Service)
MCI 900 Service is an inbound, long distance, voice‑grade telecommunications service that permits callers to place long distance calls to the Customer's station in one location from stations in diverse geographical service areas, and in which the MCI 900 Service Customer is billed for the calls rather than the call originators. MCI 900 Service Customers may provide live or pre‑recorded messages to callers, using the Customer's own equipment. If the computed charge includes a fraction of a cent, the fraction is rounded to the nearest whole cent.
It is the customer's responsibility to provide answer supervision back to Company point of connection even when the MCI 900 Service is connected to switching equipment or a Customer‑provided communications system. In such cases, the equipment or system must provide appropriate supervision so that the measure of chargeable time begins upon the delivery of the call to the customer's switching equipment or communications system and ends upon termination of the call.
In addition to other service-related charges under this option, FUSF, Administrative Expense Fee and CCRC apply.
.151 Monthly Recurring Charges
.1511 Terminating Access Line Charges: An MCI 900 customer must use Dedicated Access at each 900 Service terminating location. The customer's equipment to which 900 Service is connected must provide hardware answer supervision.
.15111 Dedicated Termination
.151111 T‑1 Digital Access ‑ Components associated with T‑1 Digital Access and their relevant monthly and non‑recurring charges are those shown in Sections C‑2.0221 and C‑2.02221.
.151112 At the customer's request and where feasible, Company may permit the customer to obtain other forms of access to the customer's 900 Service terminating location, or Company may procure other forms of access to such location. All applicable recurring and non‑recurring charges for such service will be calculated on an individual case basis, in accordance with the charges assessed by the Local Exchange Carrier or other access provider. The installation and monthly charges for any interface equipment associated with such access that is provided by Company shall be calculated on an individual case basis. If Company procures access for the customer from the Local Exchange Carrier, the customer's use of such access shall be in conformity with the regulations and other terms and conditions under which the Local Exchange Carrier provides such access.
In addition to such individual case basis charges, Company shall assess charges for the following:
T‑1 Digital or TDS‑45 Access Coordination, if requested by the customer (see Sections C‑2.0221 and C‑2.02412, respectively)
T‑1 Digital or TDS‑45 MCI Central Office Connection (see Sections C‑2.0221 and C‑2.02421, respectively)
T‑1 Digital Central Office Options (see Section C‑2.0221).
.1512 Special Access Surcharge1 ‑ Applicable for Dedicated Terminating Access to MCI 900 Service.
.15121 Dedicated Termination: The monthly charges for Special Access Surcharge for each voice grade equivalent channel are shown in the table in Section C‑2.02113. (No non‑recurring charges apply.)
.1513 Per Minute Usage Charges: The rates will be in effect seven days a week and at all times of the day. Calls will be billed at a minimum of 30 seconds and rounded thereafter, to next higher six second increment.
1ST 30 SEC ADD'L 6 SEC
$0.1550 $0.0310
1 The Special Access Surcharge, imposed by the Local Exchange Carrier, will not apply to those customers who furnish Company with an Exemption Certificate (as defined herein).
.1514 Volume Discounts: Volume discounts, as specified below, will apply to all 900 Service per minute usage charges (including the per call Preamble charge specified in Section C‑3.1525 below):
Monthly Usage Incremental Volume Discount
$ 0.00 ‑ 69,999.99 0%
$ 70,000.00 ‑ 139,999.99 6%
$ 140,000.00 + 12%
.1516 MCI 900 Service Monthly Minimum Usage Fee: Customers of MCI 900 Service will be billed and required to pay a monthly minimum usage fee calculated as follows:
1. Divide the customer's total MCI 900 Service usage attributable to one Corporate ID by the total number of 900 telephone numbers assigned to that Corporate ID.
2. If, for any month, the customer's total monthly usage charge for MCI 900 Service to one Corporate ID is:
Less than or equal to $50,000, and the result of the calculation in (1) above, is $35 or greater, the customer will not be subject to a monthly minimum usage fee. If the result of the calculation in (1) above is less than $35, then the monthly minimum usage fee per 900 number will equal $35 minus the result of the calculation in (1) above.
Between $50,000.01 and $99,999.99, and the result of the calculation in (1) above is $30 or greater, the customer will not be subject to a monthly minimum usage fee. If the result of the calculation in (1) above, is less than $30, then the monthly minimum usage fee per 900 number will equal $30 minus the result of the calculation in (1) above.
Between $100,000 and $149,999.99, and the result of the calculation in (1) above is $25 or greater, the customer will not be subject to a monthly minimum usage fee. If the result of the calculation in (1) above is less than $25, then the monthly minimum usage fee per 900 number will equal $25 minus the result of the calculation in (1) above.
Greater than or equal to $150,000, and the result of the calculation in (1) above is $15 or greater, the customer will not be subject to a monthly minimum usage fee. If the result of the calculation in (1) above is less than $15, then the monthly minimum usage fee per 900 number will equal $15 minus the result of the calculation in (1) above.
.1517 Other Monthly Recurring Charges: The following monthly recurring charges will apply per MCI 900 Service telephone number. The total monthly charges may not exceed $5,000 per Corporate ID.
Monthly Recurring Charge
$100.00
* All charges for these features are waived until further notice.
.152 Feature Charges
.1521 Tailored Call Coverage:* Allows the 900 Service customer to block calls from one or more specific originating areas. Blockage from multiple originating areas is available. The Change Charge will apply only when the customer changes the group of originating areas to be blocked, but not when this option is removed from a 900 number or when service is cancelled for that 900 number. Charges apply per 900 number.
NON RECURRING
MONTHLY INSTALLATION CHANGE
per 900 number $0.00 $150.00 $110.00
.1522 Point of Call Routing:* Allows the customer to define two or more routing groups and to arrange that calls to a single 900 Service telephone number placed from different routing groups will terminate at different locations. The combination of all routing groups defined by the customer must include the entire United States, unless Tailored Call Coverage (Section C‑3.1521 preceding) is used to block certain originating areas. The point at which calls from a particular routing group are to terminate need not be located in that routing group. The monthly charge applies to each routing group defined for each 900 Service telephone number. The Change Charge will apply to any change to the make‑up of routing groups or to cancellation of this feature.
NON RECURRING
MONTHLY INSTALLATION CHANGE
per 900 number $100.00 per $110.00 $110.00
originating group
.1523 Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS):* This feature permits a customer with multiple 900 Service telephone numbers terminating in the same location to identify the specific 900 Service telephone number which was dialed by the calling party. DNIS is only available with Dedicated Access Line terminations equipped for this feature. Charges apply per terminating location. A customer can identify up to 250 DNIS designations.
NON RECURRING
MONTHLY INSTALLATION CHANGE
$0.00 $500.00 $50 per service
.1524 Call Detail (not including international usage):* Call detail will be provided on a monthly basis via magnetic tape or paper (per billing account) at the customer's choice, for a one-time charge of $75 per billing medium per billing account.
* All charges for these features are waived until further notice.
.1525 Preamble: In situations requiring a preamble, a customer must select the duration of the preamble, which may range in time from 18 to 996 seconds and must indicate in the preamble the charge to be imposed for the call. A preamble must be ordered in six second increments, with a minimum duration of 18 seconds. The customer will be charged the per call rate for the preamble duration specified, even if the caller hangs up before the end of the preamble. The rates below apply to each call which is terminated within the specified time frame. This charge will be in place of the Per Minute Usage Charges set forth above, except in those cases where the selected preamble is over 60 seconds.
Preamble Duration Rate Per Call
1 ‑ 30 seconds $0.12
31 ‑ 60 seconds $0.31
over 60 seconds Per Minute Usage
Charges set forth in
Section C‑3.1513 above
.1526 Integrated Network Management Services (INMS): Access to the MCI Network to monitor, analyze and control customer-specific Company services. Access is through a customer provided workstation and a dedicated line connection.
Monthly Installation
System/Application
Operations Management $550 N/A
Trouble Management $700 N/A
Performance/Planning $300 N/A
Management
Access
IEC 9.6 kbps Dedicated
Access (per line) $225 1,000
.153 Service Availability
MCI 900 Service is available as follows:
a. customers may subscribe to the service in all locations listed in Table V, Part A;
b. the public can place calls to MCI 900 numbers from anywhere in the continental U.S., subject to the provisions in Section B‑2.04 and Section B‑6.073.
.154 Terms and Conditions
.1541 Each provider of pay-per-call service, including 900 service, i.e., each Service Bureau and/or Information Provider:
.15411 must promptly furnish the Company, and keep current on a continuing basis, the name, address and customer service telephone number(s) of the Information Providers to whom service is being provided. When an Information Provider directly subscribes to service, it must promptly furnish to the Company and keep current on a continuing basis, its name, and address and customer service telephone number(s). No charge, or offset against charges, will be made by the Company in connection with the provision of this required information.
.15412 may not use automatic dialing devices to deliver a recorded message to the called party, unless the device releases that called partys telephone line promptly or, in any event, in a time period that is no longer than the current industry standard.
.15413 must provide a preamble at the beginning of each call of at least 18 seconds, except that no preamble is required when there is a flat-rate charge per call of $2.00 or less, and no preamble is required when the entire call consists of the non-verbal transmission of data. Additionally, providers of pay-per-call services must comply with: (a) Titles II and III of the Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act (Pub. L. No. 102-556)(TDDRA), and (b) the regulations prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to those Titles. The Company may terminate 900 Service associated with non-compliant programs following the delivery of written notice to the provider. Such notice will give the provider no less than seven, nor more than fourteen, days to render its program compliant. The Company will immediately terminate 900 service associated with any program that remains non-compliant at the end of the specified notice period.
.15414 must itself or require that its billing and collection agent have in place procedures whereby 900 Service charges will be forgiven, refunded or credited whenever a consumer has complained about such charges, and either the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, or a court of competent jurisdiction has found, or the Company has determined, upon investigation, that the program is or was being provided in violation of federal law or the regulations that are either set forth in Part 64, Subpart O of the Federal Communications Commissions Rules, or prescribed by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to Titles II or III of the Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act (TDDRA).
.15415 may not use any toll-free telephone number, including any telephone number advertised or understood to be toll-free, in a manner that would result in: (i) the calling party or the subscriber to the originating line being assessed, by virtue of completing the call, a charge for the call; (ii) the calling party being connected to a pay-per-call service; (iii) the calling party being charged for information conveyed during the call, unless the calling party has a presubscription or comparable arrangement; or (iv) the calling party being called back is called collect for the provision of audio or data information services or simultaneous voice conversation services or products.
.1542 Reservation, Administration, Ownership, Use and Allocation of 900 Numbers:
.15421 The Company will entertain a prospective 900 Service Customers request for a particular 900 Service telephone number. Up to a total of ten such numbers may be requested. The Company will accommodate each request to the extent possible and will assign 900 numbers on a nationwide basis in accordance with procedures adopted by the Company. If a requested number can be assigned to a prospective customer, the Company will so notify the Customer and will reserve it for the Customers use for a 59 day period. If, at the end of this 59-day period, the prospective Customer has not subscribed to 900 Service using the reserved number, the Company, in accordance with its procedures, may make the reserved number available for use by another.
.15422 When a 900 Service Customer disassociates itself from a third party or agent with whom it had a business arrangement, nothing herein, or in any other provision of this Guide, or in any marketing materials issued by the Company, shall give any person, including prospective Customers who have reserved a 900 Service telephone number hereunder and Customers who subscribe to and use 900 Service, any ownership interest or proprietary right in any given 900 Service telephone number. If a 900 Service Customer terminates service, any 900 Service telephone number which had been assigned to the Customer will be forfeited and revert to the Company. In any instance in which the Company learns that a Customer or prospective Customer is attempting to sell or otherwise transfer or assign a toll free or 900 telephone number to another person, in violation of the requirements of this Guide, the Company may immediately and without notice release the number from reserved status, or it may immediately upon written notice to the Customer discontinue the furnishing of service via the number, whichever course of action is deemed by the Company to be appropriate. The 900 telephone number forfeited as a result of the impermissible undertaking will not be reserved for the prospective Customer or reassigned to the Customer by the Company.
.15423 Each 900 Service telephone number must be placed in actual and substantial use by the Customer. A telephone number associated with 900 Service may be recovered by the Company when the following conditions are met: (a) after 90 consecutive days in which the telephone number was not placed in actual and substantial use, the Company has sent written notification to the customer informing the customer that, unless the telephone number is placed in actual and substantial use within 30 days after written notice was sent to the Customer, the number will be recovered; and (b) 30 consecutive days have passed since this written notice was sent to the Customer and during these 30 consecutive days the telephone number was not placed in actual and substantial use. As used in this paragraph, actual and substantial use shall mean a pattern of use, e.g., increasing 900 Service usage via the particular 900 telephone number, that discloses an intent on the Customers part to employ the number for the purpose for which it was intended, namely, to allow callers to reach the customer.
.15424 As 900 Service telephone numbers represent a scarce resource, no more than twenty numbers per 900 line in a service group may be allocated for usage by any Customer. This ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of a Customers 900 numbers by the total number of 900 lines per service group.
.1543 A Customer of 900 service is solely responsible for payment for all calls placed to or via the Customers service number(s). This responsibility is not changed by virtue of any use, misuse, or abuse of the Customers service or interconnected Customer-provided system facilities or service, which use, misuse or abuse may be occasioned by third parties including, without limitation, the Customers employees and members of the public who dial the Customers 900 service number(s) by mistake.