911 surcharge to see 50-cent hike per month

Talk about it

The South Dakota 911 Coordination Board is reminding telephone users of the 911 surcharge increase that takes effect on Sunday.

The 2012 Legislature approved an increase in the traditional surcharge from the current 75 cents per month to $1.25 per month. That fee is collected by all monthly billed telephone and wireless service providers, such as CenturyLink, Verizon, Midcontinent Communications, AT&T, Golden West Telecommunications, Knology, Vonage and others.

In addition, the Legislature also assessed the 2 percent 911 surcharge on all prepaid wireless services collected at the retail point of sale. That rapidly growing segment of wireless users includes such companies as TracFone, Wal-Mart’s Straight Talk service and others.

The surcharge, a fee imposed in virtually every state, pays the cost of operating 911 public safety dispatch centers. In South Dakota, the Legislature first authorized a surcharge in 1989. The fee has been limited to no more than 75 cents per phone line per month since then.

“That’s 23 years without a funding increase in an industry that has changed almost beyond recognition in that time,” said Ted Rufledt Jr., chair of the State 9-1-1 Coordination Board. “Revenue from the surcharge simply hasn’t kept up with changes and rising costs of providing 911 service. Some of the additional revenue will be used to provide additional funding for the 911 centers, and some will be used to make the changes necessary to modernize 911 in our state.”

As of 2011, the 911 surcharge covered about half the cost of operating the system in South Dakota.

Besides the need for additional revenue to support the existing system, funding was needed for South Dakota to update the 911 system to what is commonly called Next Generation 911.

Most of the existing system is based on 1970s telephone technology. With the explosive development of wireless smart phones, 911 as it exists today isn’t able to capitalize on the technology that wireless customers use every day.

For example, citizens can’t send a text message to a 911 dispatch center. They aren’t able to send photos or video of crimes or suspects directly to a dispatcher. Those services would be possible in the Next Generation 911 system.

Tags: news, updates, 911, police, telecommunications, taxes, surcharge