Billing And Payment

Billing Statements

Great Plains Communications, previously ETC, mails billing statements on the last business day of each month and they are always due before 5:00 pm on the 17th of the following month to avoid late charges. Please contact your local office if you have any further questions regarding your billing statement.

Payment Methods

We accept cash, money orders, personal checks, Visa, Discover, and MasterCard foraccount payments.

Other payment options:

You can pay your bill online.  Click here.

You can sign up for direct debit billing. Click here.

You can enroll in paperless billing.  Click here or stop by your local office.

Personal checks may not be accepted if previous checks have been returned by the bank for insufficient funds.

Can I make a one-time payment online?

Yes, click here. Customers may pay once, or every month online. In the top right of every page, Online Bill Pay will allow users to make a payment anytime, just be sure to have your account number with you.

Can I make a payment after business hours?

We provide a night depository box for your convenience at all five office locations. If you are unable to remit your payment by mail, you may drop off your payment in the box near the front door of your local ETC office.

Please do not mail cash or put cash in the night deposit box. Great Plains Communications, previously ETC, will not be held responsible for lost or stolen payments.

Monthly Charge & Fee Descriptions

Provided below are brief descriptions of some of the recurring monthly charges and fees that may appear on your bill. Please contact your local office if you have any further questions regarding your billing statement.

Basic Telephone Line Charges – This is the amount charged for unlimited local calling. Basic telephone service is billed one month in advance whereas long distance calls are billed in arrears.

Inter Network Access Charge – This amount is set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is for access to the interstate communications network. *Inter Network Access Charge does not apply in all areas.

Intra Network Access Charge – This amount is set by the state government and is for access to the intrastate network. Intra Network Access Charge does not apply in all areas.

Directory Charges – The company provides each subscriber with one listing in the phone directory free of charge. Customers who desire an unlisted or non-published number will be assigned a $1.00 fee each month. This charge will appear under the heading titled “Directory Charges”. We also provide Yellow Page advertising for businesses. If a business customer purchases such advertising, it will be billed under the same heading.

State Tax – State taxes are applied to all long distance calls made within the state of Indiana. Great Plains Communications, previously ETC, collects this amount and forwards it to the proper agency.

Federal Tax – Federal taxes are applied to all long distance calls made within the state of Indiana and calls made to other states. The company collects this amount and forwards it to the proper agency.

Charges From List of Calls Including Tax – This is the total amount of your bill, however, it does not include any other services that you may have purchased, such as TV, Internet, etc.

TV – Great Plains Communications, previously ETC, provides television service in certain areas. If you are a television customer, the charges will appear under this heading. Television service is billed one month in advance.

911 – This amount is determined by your county government. The company collects this fee from every subscriber and submits it to the proper facility. This charge covers the costs for the administration of emergency 911 services. 911 charges 90¢ per month for both basic residential and basic business.

TDD (Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf) – This amount is collected by the company and submitted to InTRAC (Indiana Telecommunications Relay Access Corporation). This charge supports relay services, which allow the hearing and/or speech impaired to communicate via telephone. ($0.03 /month)

Calling Features – We offer a variety of custom calling features that make using your phone even easier. If you subscribe to any calling features, those charges will appear in this area of your bill.

Inside Wire Maintenance – If a customer accepts Inside Wire Maintenance there is a monthly charge that will cover both phone and TV service. IWM covers any problem the customer may have with inside wiring or their jacks. It does not cover telephones, fax machines, modems, answering machines, etc. If a customer rejects IWM: Should a service call be made by our technicians, and the problem is in the inside wire, a service charge will be assessed. The technician, if requested, will repair the inside wire for the cost of additional labor and material. This means that even if the technician does not enter the house, the customer is still assessed the $75.00 service charge. If the customer wants the technician to fix the problem, they will be charged for labor and materials along with the $75.00 service charge. Also, if customer owned phones, modems, fax machines, etc. cause trouble on the line, the customer will be charged $75.00 even if the customer accepts IWM.

Equipment Lease Charges – The company offers some telephones and peripheral equipment for lease. If the lease equipment should fail under normal circumstances, the company will repair or replace the equipment, at its discretion, for no additional charge. Should you choose to lease equipment, it will appear on your bill under the above heading.

Returned Check Fee

Additional fees will be charged to your account for each check returned to Great Plains Communications, previously ETC, by any bank. If a check is returned for payment of a past due balance or as a replacement for a previously returned check, your service(s) may be temporarily interrupted without further notice.

Long Distance Tips (Buyers Beware)

Due to the deregulation of the telecommunications industry, customers now have multiple choices for long distance providers. The long-distance business has, therefore, become a “buyer beware” operation. Due to the many long-distance companies available and numerous service offerings, ETC cannot maintain accurate information regarding rates and plans for other long distance companies. ETC recommends that customers be cautious about choosing or switching long distance companies. If a long distance company contacts you, ask questions and read the fine print. Often there are special stipulations or surcharges assessed in order to obtain a particular rate. A good rule of thumb is, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Vacation Rates

Vacation rates apply to select core services: phone, internet and/or TV service only (individual services or bundled). If customers have a bundle with cellular or security, they will have to pay for these services at the full rate while they are gone. There will not be a fee to re-bundle customers when they return. Add-ons will be discounted at 100% (customers will NOT pay for any add-on while they are on vacation). Customers do not have to return any equipment when going on vacation rate and will be reconnected at no charge when they return.  Customers on old pricing and plans will need to convert to new pricing and plans when they return from vacation rate. Businesses are NOT eligible for the vacation rate. However, non-profit lines are. There is not a minimum or maximum amount of time a customer can be on a vacation rate.

Collection Charges

Collection charges will be 3% of the total bill (all billable services) or $5, whichever is greater.

Disconnection of Service

At Customer’s Request: If a customer desires to disconnect their telephone service, they should notify the Telephone Company at least three (3) days ahead of time. Customers are responsible for all charges until the service is disconnected. Customers may not charge service or authorize the charging of service to any account which has been disconnected.

With Notification: Customers will be notified in the “Billing Issues & Policies” section of the Phone Bill of restriction and disconnection dates for non-payment of services.

Possible Recurring Monthly Charges

1. Bundled Service
   1. Monthly Service
      – Bundle
      – Prorate
   2. Taxes on Monthly Service
      – Federal
      – State
   3. Non-Recurring Charges
      – Switch Charge
      – Upgrade Charge
      – Downgrade Charge
2. Telecommunications Service
   1. Basic Monthly Service
      – Line Charges
      – Interstate Access Charge (Sunman Only)
      – Intrastate Access Charge (Sunman Only)
   2. Basic Monthly Surcharges
      – TDD
      – Federal USF (if applicable)
   3. Non-Basic Monthly Service
      – IWM (Inside Wire Maintenance)
      – Calling Features
      – Directory Charges
   4. Usage Based Calling Service
      – Charges from a list of calls including tax
   5. Surcharges on Non-Basic Service
      – 911
   6. Taxes on Monthly Service
      – Federal
      – State
   7. Total Basic & Non-Basic Telecommunications Services
3. Cellular Service
   1. Monthly Service
      – Rate Plan

Tax is not added to the Security Monitoring charge. Also, Security Monitoring services may be paid annually.