Bills, Statements & Payments Support

Does ETC require a deposit?

Equipment deposits may be charged based on credit history. There may be a set up fee for services installed.

What should I expect on my first bill?

At ETC we bill one month in advance. On your first bill you should look to be charged for 1 full month of service, which is your month in advance. You will also see a line detail on your bill titled “Other Charges and Credits see detail” that includes any partial charges, connection fees or equipment bought. Your partials will be a prorated amount from the day your services were connected until the last day of your billing cycle. All charges will be detailed in the following pages of your statement.

How long does it take to get service installed?

Installation dates can vary depending on the location and services requested. Normally you can expect 2-5 business days for installation. If construction is required, you will be advised of the construction completed date and an appointment will be made for you as soon as the construction is complete.

What are all the government charges on my bill?

Federal Access per FCC
Long distance phone companies use the customer lines of local phone companies to provide long distance service. The SLC (Subscriber Line Charge) compensates the local phone company for costs associated with providing these lines. Various telephone companies list this charge under different names, such “FCC Charge for Network Access”, “Federal Line Cost Charge”, “Interstate Access Charge”, “Federal Access Charge”, “Interstate Single Line Charge”, “Customer Line Charge”, “FCC-Approved Customer Line Charge”, and “End User Fee”. Regardless of the name your telephone company uses, it is the SLC.

Federal Universal Service Charge
The Universal Service Fund is a federal government program that helps bring affordable basic phone service to all Americans. The program also assists schools, libraries, and rural health care providers in obtaining phone service. Some long distance companies add a USF charge onto their bills to cover their support requirements for this program.

Universal Service Fund
This fee pays for a federal program that provides affordable telephone service to low-income consumers, high-cost areas (e.g., rural areas), schools and libraries, and rural health care providers. This charge is also billed under titles such as the “Federal Universal Service Fee,” “Universal Connectivity Charge,” or the “Universal Service Carrier Charge.”

Who put it on your telephone bill: Your telephone company, in order to recover the costs for their contributions to the Universal Service Fund. The FCC does not require your carrier to recover contributions to the Fund but most do.

Who gets your money: Your telephone company contributes to the Fund based on its interstate revenues. This contribution goes to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), a private, non-profit corporation. The USAC distributes the money to eligible telephone companies which helps pay for costs associated with providing service to eligible consumers. Once again, telephone companies are not required to bill you for this charge, but virtually all of them do.

Georgia Relay Service Fund
This surcharge, as ordered by the Georgia Public Service Commission, funds the Georgia Relay Service center, which transmits and translates calls for deaf, hearing- and speech-impaired persons.

Enhanced 911 Charge
All telephone lines are charged a monthly 911 fee. It is imposed by the county governments on every line served by the 911 emergency service.

Where can ETC bills be paid?

Bills can be paid in person at any of our local offices, online with Web Pay, by authorized bank draft, over the phone with a Master Card, Visa and Discover or by mail at P.O.Box 2149 Ellijay GA 30540. To cancel automatic back draft, use this form: Cancel Automatic Bank Draft.