Frontier users have found an unwelcome present in their latest bill as the company has added a $2-a-month Internet Infrastructure Surcharge.
Several users on DSLReports’ Frontier Forum reported they found this $2 charge on their November bill.
According to Frontier, the Internet Infrastructure Surcharge is not a government tax or government surcharge. It has been implemented to defray some local network maintenance costs.
RELATED: CenturyLink slaps $1 Internet cost recovery fee on DSL users
"Beginning with this bill, customers not on an Internet Service term agreement, price protection plan or subject to other exclusions will be assessed a $1.99 per month Internet Infrastructure surcharge," Frontier said in a customer notice. "The Internet Infrastructure surcharge is not a tax or governmental charge." The service provider added that "the Internet Infrastructure surcharge will apply to customers on a price protection plan on their renewal date."
Frontier is hardly alone in implementing these fees. Fellow telco CenturyLink issued a similar $1 Internet Cost Recovery Fee in 2013. Later in April 2016, the service provider raised the fee to $4.
CenturyLink justified the fee as necessary to support the capital it takes to support service expansion and customer support. But in 2017, CenturyLink had a change of heart. Beginning with its Nevada market, the service provider did away with its broadband cost recovery fee.
The telco also took another step to simplify broadband pricing with its Price for Life program, offering customers a discount that does not expire. The price is locked in and does not change unless the customer changes services, including change of address, and/or signs up for a different promotion.
CenturyLink rolled out the Price for Life in several markets, including all its legacy CenturyLink markets. It is also rolling out the program in the legacy Qwest markets.