Telecommunications

Regarding Telecommunications Services’
Chargeback Procedure Change

What charges are included in the change?

All standard line and equipment and long distance charges are included.  Monthly charges continuing to appear in FINS are for such items as cell phones, air cards, conference calls, or other unique or non-standard products and services.

Will Telecommunications Service Requests still be required?

TSRs are needed for every service change.  They provide critical records for not only locations and services, but also for the 911 database.

Will charges still be visible in Telecom’s Pinnacle billing system?

All applicable charges are still recorded and available for viewing as they always have been.

What reconciliations are still required?

All reconciliations that deal with monthly chargeable items, such as those listed with the first question on this page.  Reconciliations will be the same as before except there will be no line and equipment, long distance, or move/add/change charges.

What about personal long distance calls?

Personal long distance call policy is unchanged.  Such use is forbidden, and should such calls be made in an emergency, they remain the responsibility of the person who made the call.

What if services are added or dropped during the FY?

There is no charge for either adding a standard service or dropping one.

What about the cost of phones?

There is no charge for standard phone sets.  Special application equipment remains a chargeable item.

What is the billing process for telecommunications services?

The telecommunications billing process is currently under review. for a description of the current process, as well as the new proposed process, go to the Telecommunications Billing Process page.

How will billing costs be calculated after the first two years? How will the cost of adds or drops be determined?

The current arrangement is set up for this year and next, but will be reevaluated for the following year. In association with that review, actual costs will still be tracked, even though they are not billed. So in two years, a change in the departmental charge will very closely reflect the average of actual services used.