But the most confusing charges go by endearing nicknames such as Slick and Pixie. You can't do much about these add-ons, but you should know what you're paying for and how they fit into your overall phone costs. Slick, Pixie and friends. You pay this federally ordered charge to your local phone company for such services as bringing a line into your home and maintaining telephone poles. It goes to local phone companies for providing the local systems.
Some states impose their very own universal service fees, too.
Some, such as GTC Telecom, simply pass on each fee. As you can see in the accompanying table, the way companies play with these fees can have a major impact on what it actually costs you to make a phone call. The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.