AT&T telephone subscribers in Oklahoma City and 223 other communities throughout the state will be required to pay a 2 percent "line inspection fee” beginning in February, a company spokesman said Monday.
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The fee will be assessed only on the basic residential rate, which will amount to 34 cents a month for Oklahoma City residents, said AT&T spokesman Andy Morgan. The basic residential rate in Oklahoma City is $17 per month.
"It's actually a fee that we have been paying for decades. We've just been absorbing the costs,” Morgan said. "It's for the cities to maintain the rights of way that we use. It's a fee that a number of other phone providers always pass through, including Cox.”
AT&T pays a fee to maintain the rights of way for its telephone lines in 224 of about 490 communities it serves in Oklahoma.
Rates vary by community size, so residents of Pauls Valley will pay 31 cents extra on a monthly residential rate of $15.50, while subscribers in the state's smallest communities, known as "rate group 1,” will pay 28 cents per month extra, based on their monthly basic residential rate of $14.
Matt Skinner, spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, said AT&T won approval from the regulating body in November to implement the fee.
"The commissioners' vote was 2-0,” Skinner said. "Commissioner Anthony was not there that day. Basically, that line item charge had been allowed other phone companies prior to Ma Bell.”
Morgan described the move to require subscribers to pay the line inspection fee as a "business decision.”
"Oklahoma is the last of the old five Southwestern Bell Telephone states to begin passing this through to customers,” he said. "We're operating a business and always looking for ways to take costs out of our business.”
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What is up with the taxes in Oklahoma? The NBA tax, the AT&T tax, what is next. I thought this was America. I guess living in Texas seems more reasonable day-by-day than living in Oklahoma. This state has a very high income tax rate as well.
I have basic phone service for $17.01 and a caller ID plan for $9.99 for a total of $17.00 . Then, I'm forced to pay for a wiring plan in case I have faulty wiring in my apartment for another $6.99. So my grand total is now $23.99. Oh wait...I've got to remember all the existing taxes and fees that AT&T currently has on my bill and it's now $45.44. Why not add another 39 cents for line inspection....like I'm not already paying enough taxes and fees.
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