Residential billing and termination practices

Providers of intrastate telecommunications services for residential customers must comply with certain billing and termination practices.

Overview

Any provider of intrastate telecommunications services in Massachusetts must comply with certain billing and termination practices for residential customers.  These practices, based on docket DPU 18448, are intended to protect consumers against unfair billing and bill collection, residential telephone service termination, and security deposit requirements.

Companies who propose to provide telecommunications services to residential customers should use the residential billing and termination practices as a template in preparing their own billing practices.  To simplify the tariff process, a company may add the following to its billing and termination practices section: "The company will comply with DPU 18448 in regard to its residential billing and termination procedures." A company may propose to revise certain terminology and rules or request exemption(s) from certain requirements if such provisions, terms, or rules are not applicable, as long as the Department determines that the changes and/or exemptions do not result in substantive changes in a residential customer's rights.

Additional Resources

Residential billing and termination practices