Service charges

(Revised November 10, 1999)

OPCD is empowered by Act 155 of the 1982 LouisianaLegislature (amended by Act 897, 1990, Act 726, 1995, and Act 1029, 1999) toestablish and maintain New Orleans’ E-9-1-1 Telephone System.

In accordance with these statutes and in order to fund theSystem, the OPCD Board of Commissioners has, by resolution, adopted servicecharges levied upon the service users of ILECs, CLECs, CMRS, Resellers of CMRSand any other suppliers of telecommunication services, the users of which arecapable of accessing the 9-1-1 telephone number in Orleans Parish. All suppliersof such services in Orleans Parish are required to collect and remit theappropriate service charges to OPCD in conformity with the following.

In New Orleans, BellSouth TelecommunicationsCorp. (BST) is the incumbent local exchange carrier. BST is required to bill andcollect the 9-1-1 service charges from their customers. The current monthlyrates are $.41 per residential access line and $1.14 per business access line.By special agreement, these charges (less 1% retained by BST) are remitted toOPCD monthly, within 30 days of the end of the month.

Competitive Local ExchangeCarriers marketing their own exchange access lines are also required to bill andcollect the 9-1-1 service charges from their customers. The current monthlyrates are the same as those for BST. These charges (less 1% retained by the CLEC)are to be remitted to OPCD quarterly, within 60 days of the end of the calendarquarter.

Competitive LocalExchange Carriers that resell exchange access service (blocks of telephonenumbers) that they purchase from either BST or a Facilities Based CLEC, arerequired to pay the 9-1-1 service charges at the time of their purchase.They should then bill these charges to their customers. The current monthlyrates are the same as those for BST. Categorization as either a “businessline” or a “residential line” is the responsibility of thepurchasing CLEC. Service charges collected from the purchasing CLEC byBST (or by a selling CLEC), less 1% retained by the seller, are tobe remitted to OPCD at the time that BST, or the facilities based CLEC, remitsits other 9-1-1 service charges to OPCD.

Commercial Mobile RadioServices (Cellular, PCS, and other “wireless” suppliers andResellers of these services) are required to bill and collect the 9-1-1service charge from their users. The current monthly rate is $.85 per eachaccess number, where the billing address for the number is located in OrleansParish. These charges (less 1% retained by the CMRS or Reseller) are to beremitted to OPCD quarterly, within 60 days of the end of the calendar quarter.

Special accommodation for Carriers that fall intomore than one category (e.g. CLEC that is both “facility based” and a”reseller”) will be considered on an individual basis.

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