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Taxes, Charges, & Fees

ACCOUNT & BILLING

The following is a list of taxes, charges and fees that may appear on your bill depending on the services you have and/or your local government requirements.

Internet service

Network Enhancement Fee

The Network Enhancement Fee recovers a portion of WOW!’s cost for network improvements, security, and maintenance and is in addition to other charges associated with WOW! Internet services. It is not a government tax or fee.

Phone service

E911 Surcharge

This tax helps states and localities fund the 911 and E911 systems and networks that facilitate provision of emergency services such as fire, police and rescue. The tax is owed to the state or local government by the subscriber and WOW! acts as a collection and remittance agent.

Jurisdictions: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, and Tennessee

FCC Phone Fee

The FCC Phone Fee covers the costs of enforcement activities, policy and rulemaking activities, user information services, and international activities performed by the FCC. Federal statute requires the FCC to "assess and collect" fees to recover the costs of these activities. Service providers are permitted to pass them on to consumers as a line item on the bill.

Subscriber Line Charge (Also Sometimes Called Line Access Fee or FCC Network Access Fee)

This is a subscriber line charge that covers the costs of the local phone network. This fee is authorized by the FCC to interconnection carriers to collect to support customers' ability to make and receive interstate and international calls. The charge will apply and vary depending upon your service location and the type of phone services to which you subscribe.

This charge is not a tax or government-mandated charge and is subject to change.

Network Line Fee

In order to offset rising direct costs associated with connecting customers to the telephone network, WOW! Phone customers in the Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois markets will see a "Network Line Fee". This fee offsets part of the Subscriber Line Charge that WOW's affiliated interconnection carrier (Sigecom, LLC) or any other interconnecting carriers are authorized by the FCC to collect to support customers' ability to make and receive interstate and international calls. The charge will apply and vary depending upon your service location and the type of phone services to which you subscribe.

This charge is not a tax or government-mandated charge and is subject to change.

Federal Excise Tax

The Federal excise tax is a tax on local telephone service that includes services and facilities sold in connection with local service.  This tax is a percentage of the cost of your services and appears on the local phone portion of your bill. The percentage used to calculate the amount of the tax appears with the charge. For example, "Federal excise tax at 3%." WOW! acts as a billing agent and collects these fees on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All monies collected for the Federal excise tax are paid directly to the IRS.

Federal Universal Service Fund

The Federal Universal Service Fund Charge supports the telecommunications needs of consumers living in high-cost service areas, low-income households, schools, libraries, and rural healthcare providers. The charge is set by the FCC and is adjusted on your WOW! bill quarterly as the costs charged by the fund change. This fee supports a federal fund that ensures the availability of affordable communications services to low-income and rural customers as well as eligible schools, libraries, and health care providers.

The FCC does not require but allows this charge be passed on to customers.

State Universal Service Fund

This state charge helps to keep basic exchange rates affordable to all customers who live in the states listed below. The funds collected are remitted to the state utility commission.

Jurisdiction: South Carolina

Federal Telecom Relay Service

Telecom Relay Service (TRS) fee helps to pay for the relay center which transmits and translates calls for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.

Jurisdictions: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and South Carolina

Access Recovery Charge

The Federal Access Recovery Charge (ARC) is related to changes in federal rules for the rates charged between carriers to carry telecommunications traffic. This is not a government-mandated tax or fee.

Jurisdiction: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee

Carrier Service Fee

The Carrier Service Fee helps cover administrative expenses for national and local regulatory fees and programs, as well as connection and account servicing charges. This fee is not a tax or charge required by the government.

Jurisdiction: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee

State Gross Receipts

 A tax levied by a state government on all intrastate and interstate telephone services. Service providers are permitted to pass them on to consumers as a line item on the bill.

Jurisdictions: Alabama and Florida

Video service

FCC Reg Fee

The FCC Regulatory Fees cover the costs of enforcement activities, policy and rulemaking activities, user information services, and international activities performed by the FCC. Federal statute requires the FCC to “assess and collect” fees to recover the costs of these activities. Service providers are permitted to pass them on to consumers as a line item on the bill.

Broadcast TV Fee

WOW! pays “retransmission consent” fees to broadcasters so that we can carry those broadcast channels on our cable systems. WOW! imposes a Broadcast TV Fee on those customers who subscribe (whether alone or as part of a bundle of services) to any WOW! cable television service. This fee recovers costs associated with retransmitting television broadcast signals. It will apply and vary depending upon your service location and the type of cable services to which you subscribe. It is not a government mandated tax or fee and is subject to change. The fee is in addition to other charges associated with the WOW! cable services.

Michigan Uniform Fee

The MI Uniform Recovery Fee provides revenue for the Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) to offset their administrative operating costs for the team that governs the Michigan PSC and related matters. Service providers are permitted to pass them on to consumers as a line item on the bill.

Jurisdiction: Michigan

Sport Surcharge

The Sports Surcharge is imposed on customers who subscribe (whether alone or as part of a bundle of services) to any WOW! cable television service (except Limited Basic). The Sports Surcharge offsets some of the costs WOW! must pay to sports programming networks. This surcharge is not a government mandated tax or fee and is subject to change. The surcharge is in addition to other charges associated with the WOW! cable television services.

Various - including video, phone and equipment

State, County, & City Sales Tax

The rate for sales taxes varies by state and/or locality. The tax is owed to the state or local government by the subscriber and WOW! acts as a collection and remittance agent.

Franchise Fee

WOW! operates its cable television systems pursuant to state or local franchises or similar authorizations. In most areas in which we operate, we pay the local community a franchise fee for the rights to operate within municipal boundaries. Service providers are allowed to pass this fee on to consumers as a line item on the bill. The fee will vary depending upon your service location and the services to which you subscribe.

PEG Access Fee

In many areas in which we operate, we pay the local community a PEG fee to maintain and enhance Public, Education, and Government (PEG) channels and access services. Service providers are permitted to pass this fee on to consumers as a line item on the bill. The fee will vary depending upon your service location and the services to which you subscribe.

Communication Services Tax

Florida imposes a communications sales tax on cable and satellite television service, as well as on all landline voice services. The tax is owed to the state or local government by the subscriber and WOW! acts as a collection and remittance agent.

Jurisdiction: Florida