AT&T raising monthly minimums on 13 plans

AT&T long distance customers may need to call their out-of-town friends and family more often in order to avoid a new fee that the telecom giant is levying. Effective with bills issued after September 1, 2006, AT&T is raising the “minimum monthly usage charge” on thirteen plans by 99¢ to $9.99 per month. This comes on the heels of the company’s announcement in July that it was raising the “minimum monthly usage charge” on seven other plans.

The minimum monthly usage charge is applied when plan subscribers fail to incur the required amount of long distance charges in a month. When calling charges fail to equal the monthly minimum, AT&T applies the minimum monthly usage charge in lieu of the calling charges. Fees such as the Universal Connectivity Charge, State Carrier Line Charge, Single Bill Fee, Payphone Surcharge, Carrier Cost Recovery Fee, and other federal, state, and local taxes still apply. To find out if the fee increase affects you, please look for your long distance plan on the list below:

• AT&T 5¢ Evenings Plan
• AT&T 5¢ Nights
• AT&T Cash Back 12¢ Offer
• AT&T One Rate
• AT&T One Rate 10¢
• AT&T One Rate 7¢
• AT&T One Rate Global Plan
• AT&T One Rate Off-Peak (excluding California plan)
• AT&T One Rate Off-Peak III
• AT&T One Rate Plan
• The Seven Cents Plan
• AT&T Simple Minutes
• AT&T True Reach

Source: Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org