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LONG DISTANCE
CALLING FROM OFF CAMPUS OR WHILE TRAVELING ON UNIVERSITY BUSINESS
BACKGROUND:
The long distance industry has experienced significant changes in the last few
years, resulting in a reduction in rates for certain services while some
traditional services have remained the same premium price.
RECOMMENDATION:
Due to their higher rates, the University no longer recommends the use of the
University-issued standard calling card, ICN, MCI, or AT&T cards. Instead,
switching to prepaid calling cards should result in significant cost savings for
your department for domestic and international long distance calling from off
campus or when traveling on University business.
NEXT STEPS:
To help facilitate the transition, ITS has done some research into the available
options for these cards. Although
there are a lot of available vendors with varying prices and features, there are
at least two that seem particularly attractive.
The OneSuite Calling Card is one such option, currently charging 2.9 cents per
minute for calls anywhere to and from the lower 48 U.S. states (5 cents per
minute for Alaska & Hawaii). They
also offer competitive international rates.
Additionally, they assure that there are no hidden charges of any kind.
The only exception is if you call from a payphone, there is an additional
FCC mandated charge, currently 55 cents per call.
For additional information, including rates, features, or to set up an
account, please access their website at the link below:
http://www.onesuite.com/
Another option that may better suit your needs is a prepaid AT&T calling card
available from Sam’s Club. The
current per minute rate for these cards is 3.47 cents per minute, and they come
in a variety of prepaid increments to suit your individual or departmental
needs. Additional information is
available at the link below:
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/search.do?searchtype=simple&catg=3721&simplesearchfor=prepaid+phone+card&simpleitemtype=0
CONSIDERATIONS:
As mentioned, there are certainly more options available from other vendors, one
of which may better suit your individual or departmental needs.
A simple Google search for “calling cards” or “prepaid calling cards”
will give you an array of options.
However, a word of caution is to fully understand a company’s billing policies.
You should identify
1.
What billing increments are used (they can vary from fractions of a minute to
several minutes)?
2.
Are there extra charges such as per call setup, taxes, maintenance fees and “you
name it” fees?
3.
Do minutes expire, and under what circumstances?
4.
Can the card be recharged (additional minutes added)?
5.
Do they provide detailed billing?
Additionally, many cell phone companies include long distance calls as part of
their packages and only count towards minutes used, so this may be a suitable
option in some cases.
UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS CONSIDERATIONS:
All departmentally funded services, including prepaid calling cards, cell
phones, etc. are subject to regulations outlined in the University of Iowa
Operations Manual. Their use is
limited to University business, and they are subject to the same auditing and
documentation standards as other telecommunication services.
Additionally, misuse of these services may result in disciplinary action,
including termination. See
University Administrative Policy Number 2204, entitled “Telephone Use” for
further clarification.
Departments may purchase prepaid cards through standard procurement procedures
and from such sources as acceptable to the Purchasing Department.
Departments will ensure that any prepaid cards purchased have a lower per
minute cost, including an surcharges, than that of the University-issued
standard calling card. To ensure
accountability and to provide auditable records, departments must keep a listing
of all prepaid cards purchased, to include the following information:
Identification number
Date of Purchase
Number of minutes
Cost
Departments will also keep a call activity log for each prepaid card used.
This log must contain the following information:
Date of the call
Time the call started
Duration
Telephone number where the call originated
Telephone number called
Name of person making the call
The department head must review the log for each prepaid card monthly and verify
that all calls placed with it were for legitimate University business.
When all minutes on a card have been used, or is not recharged or
cancelled, the card and its log will be retained in department files for three
years. While active, such cards must
be kept in a secure location, similar to gift cards, and the available amount
should be limited (one month’s worth of usage, is suggested) in order to
minimize risk if lost or stolen.
RESULT:
A reduction in cost without loss of service or functionality is always in a
department’s, and ultimately the University’s, best interest.
If you need additional information or assistance with this transition,
please contact Jo Josephson from ITS
jo-josephson@uiowa.edu or 335-2886.
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