Wireless Data
9-1-1 TAXES ON AIRCARS (SPRINT PX-500)
I am in a discussion with Sprint and the Illinois Commerce Commission on the taxes that appear on my bill for my Sprint Pentech PX-500 broadband card for my laptop. I am paying $0.57 for Federal 9-1-1 taxes and $0.75 for local 9-1-1 tax. This isn't a bank-breaker, but it's the principle.
The card cannot "dial" 9-1-1 and it lacks GPS chipset for Phase 2 wireless E9-1-1 location requirements. Because of this, I contend that I should not be paying taxes for a device that CANNOT use the services for which I'm being taxed. It would be the rough analog of paying 9-1-1 taxes for a WiFi card.
Has anyone else tried to make this argument? Am I shoveling feces against the tide?
The card cannot "dial" 9-1-1 and it lacks GPS chipset for Phase 2 wireless E9-1-1 location requirements. Because of this, I contend that I should not be paying taxes for a device that CANNOT use the services for which I'm being taxed. It would be the rough analog of paying 9-1-1 taxes for a WiFi card.
Has anyone else tried to make this argument? Am I shoveling feces against the tide?
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I agree with you, in priciple it's ridiculous for someone to have to pay 911 taxes/fees on a CDMA aircard. However, I believe your beef is with the government and not Sprint. Though CMDA aircards cannot be used as cell phones, they still have phone numbers attached to them and thus the government believes they can tax it.
In the case of GSM aircards, the SIM can be removed and used in a cell phone- so the 911 fee/tax is technically valid.
In the case of GSM aircards, the SIM can be removed and used in a cell phone- so the 911 fee/tax is technically valid.
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our billing systems are regualted by the fcc and the government, since the are cards work off of phone numbers, and they work through the internet just like are phone the government can tax them according to the fcc regulations, and if we don't tax them the fcc will give sprint a hefty fine for breaking there rules.
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Additionally you *CAN* make calls from the card technically using the Connection Manager if you should choose to do so.
Regardless, this is a FCC/Government issue and calling and whining about it to no end with Sprint reps will only make you look petty, foolish, cheap, and moronic.
GL fighting the gov't to not tax you buddy.
Regardless, this is a FCC/Government issue and calling and whining about it to no end with Sprint reps will only make you look petty, foolish, cheap, and moronic.
GL fighting the gov't to not tax you buddy.
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"sprint_god"...lol...just had to laugh a little at that, how long have you worked for accent? j/w...anyway to answer the question, they can tax due to the fact that you can make phone calls using your aircard, everything in the system works the same and is identified as the same as if it were a phone, you have a msl, which allows you to program the phone, you have a mdn, which lets the network initiate the connection, and you have the msid that allows further communication with the network in identifying which account to charge, and you have an esn that allows the system to add it to the account, which are identical in aircards and phones alike, so therefore the only thing telling anyone that your device is an aircard is the system that we u...
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That just doesn't make any sense at all to me that a device that can't make phone calls has a phone #. No sense at all.
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Curious. There are no 911 "taxes" that I know of.
Sprint may charge you a special 911 "fee" or "regulatory charge" because it cost them something to implement E-911 and it was a government mandate.
Interestingly, I don't think Verizon Wireless charges such a fee. The closest I can find on a Verizon Wireless data card bill is a $0.07 "regulatory charge", which may or may or may not relate to E-911. I do know that Verizon charges far less in fees and taxes for data card service compared to what they charge for phones.
Sprint may charge you a special 911 "fee" or "regulatory charge" because it cost them something to implement E-911 and it was a government mandate.
Interestingly, I don't think Verizon Wireless charges such a fee. The closest I can find on a Verizon Wireless data card bill is a $0.07 "regulatory charge", which may or may or may not relate to E-911. I do know that Verizon charges far less in fees and taxes for data card service compared to what they charge for phones.
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