FEDERAL AND MISSOURI LIFELINE CHANGES
Effective December 1, 2020, federal Lifeline support for voice-only service (and voice-data bundles in which the broadband service does not meet the effective Lifeline minimum service standard) will decrease from $7.25 to $5.25 per month. The Missouri Lifeline support for voice-only service increased from $16.75 to $18.75. Making the total Lifeline support for voice only service $24.
Federal Universal Service Charge Increase
Effective January 1, 2021, the Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC) on your bill will increase as a result of an increase in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) universal service fund contribution factor from 27.1% to 31.8%. The FUSC is calculated in accordance with FCC rules by applying the new contribution factor of 31.8% (0.318) to the charges for interstate services. The federal universal service fund helps to ensure access to affordable communications services in hard-to-serve rural areas of the United States. If you have any questions regarding the FUSC, please contact the FCC at 1-888-225-5322 or email: fccinfo@fcc.gov.
In an effort to limit our staff’s exposure to COVID at our location, the Company has decided to temporarily suspend the activity of allowing rental and non-rental social gatherings in its banquet room. We look forward to re-opening the Alma Telephone Banquet and Meeting room at a later date when we can enjoy seeing our patrons gather for socialization once again. Until then, please stay safe!
We are excited to announce that the Alma Weather Station is online and ready to use. You can access real time weather information by visiting http://agebb.missouri.edu/weather/stations and selecting ´Alma´ in the drop down menu. Data is updated every 5 minutes. Base data is available, however the tower will also be capable of tracking temperature inversions, as well as capture greater soil temperature variables.
Caller ID Spoofing
Information obtained from www.fcc.govCaller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. It´s often used to trick someone into giving away personal information.
How to avoid spoofing:- Don´t answer calls from unknown numbers
- If you answer and it asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up
- Do not respond to any questions
- Never give out personal information
- If someone says they represent a company or government agency, hang up and call the number on your statement, in the phone book or from the government agencies/ companies´ website
- Use caution if you are being pressured for info immediately
- If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, set a password for it
- Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have
One Ring Phone Scam
Information obtained from www.fcc.govEvery so often, your phone may ring once and then stop. If that happens to you, and you do not recognize the number, do not return the call. You may be the target of a “one-ring” phone scam.
Scammers often use international numbers from regions that also begin with three-digit codes (649 goes to Turks and Caicos and 809 goes to Dominican Republic). Scammers may use spoofing techniques to further mask the number in your caller ID display.
If you call the number back, you risk being connected to a phone number outside the U.S. You may end up being charged a fee for connecting, as well as significant per-minute fees.
Variations of this scam rely on phony voice-mail messages urging you to call a number with an unfamiliar area code to “collect a prize” or to notify you about a “sick” relative.
How to avoid this scam:- Don´t answer or return any calls from numbers you don´t recognize
- Before calling unfamiliar numbers, check to see if the area code is international
- If you do not make international calls, ask your phone company to block outgoing international calls on your line
- Always be cautious, even if a number appears authentic
