NOTICE
You may have noticed a charge on your telephone bill for the Colorado Universal Service Fund. This charge is required by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to pay for the Colorado Universal Service fund established by state law.
What is the Colorado Universal Service Fund?
It is a fund to ensure that basic telephone service is affordable in Colorado. Money from the fund is used to support basic local phone service in areas where costs to provide service are high. This allows local phone rates to remain reasonably comparable across the state. Payments are made to telephone companies that serve areas with high costs and meet other PUC requirements for the funding.
What services is this charge applied to and who pays it?
This charge is assessed as a percentage of your in-state telecommunications services for local, wireless, paging, in-state long distance and optional services. The charge is not applied to interstate services. All telecommunications customers in Colorado pay this monthly charge.
What is the monthly charge?
The monthly charge is currently set at 2.6 percent, which was effective April 1, 2013. The PUC may adjust the charge over time depending on how much money is needed for the fund and to make sure that customers do not pay more than is necessary.
Who do I call if I have questions about this charge?
For more information, contact your telecommunications provider.