Long Distance and International Rates
Using your Telephone
Faculty and Staff Office Telephones
Frequently Used Numbers
Staff Listing
Contact Us
Help
Cellular Interconnection Tariff Fees
Telecommunications has recently been notified of a newly implemented billing practice that will change the way certain local cellular numbers are dialed from on-campus telephones.
Southwestern Bell Communications (SBC) now assesses a tariff-related charge for particular cellular telephone numbers. Previously billed as toll charges to the wireless carriers from SBC, charges for these specific cellular numbers are now shifted to the land line user. For example, if you previously dialed 713-992-xxxx, there was no charge to your Rice telephone; the wireless carrier bore all the charges. Now the number will be treated as a long-distance call with the requirement of a 1 before the area code. Go to the Cell Number List for a complete list of the area codes and telephone number prefixes that are affected.
Why the change? With the implementation of number pooling and wireless number portability, a more recent occurrence in the wireless industry, it became necessary for many of the local exchange carriers like SBC to implement this billing practice to recoup their interconnection fees.
The Good News: Although SBC currently charges $.21 per minute for interconnection, Telecommunications will simply use our Intralata long distance fee of $.05 per minute when a call is placed from our campus to one of those listed cellular numbers.
Domestic Rates
Direct Dial Rates
Resicom provides Rice University's long distance service for faculty and staff. The new flat-rate domestic long distance interstate (calling within the continental United States) rate for direct dial calls is 3 cents per minute.
Local Long Distance
Some calls to local area codes are charged as long distance at 5 cents per minute. Intralata calls are made within the state, but outside the local calling area. Rice's local calling area provider is SBC. The Spring area's local provider is Verizon. This means that a call from Rice to Spring would be charged at 5 cents per minute, even though the call destination is within a 281 area code. Similarly, intrastate calls (Rice to Dallas, Rice to El Paso, Rice to Beaumont, etc.) are also billed at 5 cents per minute.
Calling Card Rates
When using a university-assigned eMeritus long distance calling card, the interstate (outside Texas, but within the continental United States) long distance rate is 10 cents per minute.
International Rates
Calling FROM the US
There is no surcharge for eMeritus direct dial International calls. This means the least expensive international call a faculty or staff member can make is a call that they dial directly from their Rice campus phone. For traveling faculty and staff members, the surcharge for eMeritus calling card calls made to International destinations is $1.00 per call. For international rates using either eMeritus direct dial or calling cards, select the country you wish to call from the tables linked below. In rare cases, eMeritus does not serve a remote area, AT&T calling card rates are also provided below.
- eMeritus International Rates for Direct Dial Calls from Rice
- eMeritus International Rates for Calling Card Calls from locations inside U.S.
- AT&T International Rates for Calling Card Calls placed from phones inside the U.S.
- AT&T International Rates for Calling Card Calls placed from phones inside the U.S. to mobile phones in other countries
Calling TO the US
For the best rates calling to the US from another country, use your eMeritus calling card with the 800 number for that country, if available. Check the eMeritus International Dialing Guide which is referenced on the back of your calling card for additional details.
Surcharges on international calls may be added to the cost of a service on calls made via cell telephones, calling cards, direct dial, etc. When international long distance companies make these charges they are passed on to customers. Typically surcharges do not exceed $2.50 per call.
In rare cases, eMeritus does not provide service to remote locations. AT&T long distance rates are also provided below.
