Georgia landline phone customers to see lower bills

The diminishing number of Georgians with landline telephones in their homes are about to see a savings on their bills thanks to the sunsetting of a decade-old program.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the fee supporting the program from 6% to 3.75% in monthly phone bills starting next month.

The mandatory fee, implemented in 2011, was designed to bring the costs of in-state long-distance phone calls in line with the costs of out-of-state long distance. It took 10 years to fully implement the program, making the fee reduction possible.

“The bottom line is business and individual customers in Georgia will see a savings on their phone bills,” said Commissioner Tricia Pridemore, who chairs the PSC’s Telecommunications Committee. “This is welcome news for anyone with a landline phone.”

A $50 phone bill will drop by slightly more than $1 per month under the reduced fee, resulting in more than $13 in annual savings. Georgia has an estimated 1.7 million landline phones.