If I cannot pay my bill, when can my phone company disconnect my service?

There are rules that a phone company that offers you basic local voice service must follow before it can disconnect your service. Some phone companies cannot disconnect your basic local voice service for non-payment of other services such as long distance, Internet access, call waiting, or wireless services. But this policy mainly applies to the local phone companies such as Verizon and AT&T. If, however, you make no payment and are delinquent on your entire bill, the phone company can disconnect your local service once proper notice has been given. Other phone companies, including your wireless company or some VoIP companies, can disconnect your voice service for failure to pay any part of your bill. Ask your company for its policy.

Of course, any phone company can disconnect the services, such as toll services, for which you have failed to pay the bill. Most phone companies will give you some type of grace period or notice before they will disconnect your service. The industry standard is to give approximately 7 days’ notice before service is disconnected. Most companies will not disconnect you on a day when their customer service offices are closed. Even if all of your services are disconnected for non-payment, phone companies may be required to leave the phone line in place so that 911 can be dialed from that phone line in case of an emergency. Wireless phones only need charged batteries to call 911.