Frequently Asked Questions

For your convenience, we've compiled some Frequently Asked Questions regarding Southern Linc and our mobile phones. We hope these answers fill you in on everything you want to know. If not, please feel free to call our Customer Solution department at 1-800-818-LINC (5462).

Billing Wireless Number Portability Phone Security

Billing, Taxes, and Other Fees

Unless you are exempt, you can expect to pay federal, state and local taxes as well as other applicable fees, such as E911 and Universal Service Fund fees (USF). Southern Linc customers are taxed differently, depending on location. Taxes vary significantly between states. Your location is determined by your primary locale of use, also known as your service address. The service address was determined when you filled out the service order form in the field "primary locale of use."

E911 is a flat fee imposed on telecommunication service users by state or local governments. The fee is passed on to the state or county and is used to cover the costs of maintaining an emergency 911 system.

Pursuant to your Customer Agreement, you may be charged Late Fees assessed at 1.5% on any overdue amount on your account.

Exemption procedures are unique by state. To be considered exempt, you must provide documentation from your state indicating exempt status. In general, exemptions for telecommunication services are limited to government agencies.

Corporate phone packages are taxed on the Master account level. Services are taxed at the Sub account (individual unit) level.

The Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee is a monthly per-unit fee that reflects Southern Linc' cost of complying with government rules and initiatives, including, but not limited to, Telephone Number Pooling, Wireless Number Portability and other charges related to Southern Linc' governmental costs. This fee is not a tax or a government mandated charge and is subject to change.

Southern Linc has made an extensive investment in its network to help emergency response agencies identify the approximate location of its subscribers when dialing 911. The E911 Cost Recovery Fee reflects a portion of the costs associated with this investment. This fee is not a tax or a government mandated charge.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) is maintained by the 1996 Telecommunications Act to promote the availability of telecommunications services to all citizens of the United States. The USF fee is the financing mechanism that supports this mandate. Southern Linc remits payments to the Universal Service Administrative company, which administers this fund on behalf of the FCC. The amount a customer may pay for this fee is related to the amount of interstate telecommunications services used by the customer in a given month.

The Administrative Cost Recovery Fee is a monthly per-unit fee that reflects a portion of Southern Linc' cost of ad valorem and municipal taxes and business license expenses. This fee is not a government-mandated charge to the customer and is subject to change. The Administrative Cost Recovery Fee does not apply to Lifeline customers or customers on government contracts.

Wireless Number Portability

This is an FCC mandated service that allows wireless customers the ability to switch wireless, home or business telephone carriers without giving up their existing phone numbers.

To find out if your current number is portable, call Southern Linc at 1-800-818-LINC (5462) to bring your current number to Southern Linc. Existing customers who want to switch other cell phone or landline phone numbers to Southern Linc may also call Customer Solutions at 1-800-818-LINC (5462).

WLNP is available in the top 100 major markets in the U.S. Some smaller landline carriers have applied for porting deadline extensions because of non-compliant software or networking.

While there are no fees associated with processing the transfer of your number, Southern Linc customers will be assessed a monthly fee for costs associated with the implementation and support of WLNP. This is not a tax or government-required charge. Customers will still be responsible for paying all applicable fees and account charges to their current provider until the WLNP process is completed. Early termination fees from the former phone carrier may apply.

  • If you are moving outside the local area, you may not be able to take your number to that area.
  • Only active, non-disconnected numbers can be transferred.
  • Some phone numbers may not be portable.

To determine whether your phone number is portable, please contact Customer Solutions at 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or call a local sales office.

Find a Dealer near you

Southern Linc provides you with a support group to help you through the transfer process. Customer Solutions is available Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM CST to answer questions. Call the Customer Solutions at 1-800-818-LINC (5462)

Porting your number involves multiple systems that must be updated. The time it takes for these updates varies from 2 ½ hours to 14 days.

  • During the porting process, if an emergency occurs, you will be able to call 911 from your cell phone.
  • However, until the WLNP transfer is complete, we advise the customer to remain on the line after calling 911, until the operator advises the customer to hang up.
  • If the call is disconnected before location and details have been provided, we advise you to call 911 again and advise the operator that you were disconnected.
  • You will not be able to make non-emergency, non-911 phone calls until the WLNP transfer is completed.

If you have further questions about WLNP, please contact Customer Solutions at 1-800-818-LINC (5462).

Phone Security

Be aware of your surroundings. In public, observe who is using smartphones and determine whether you should reveal your smartphone. Don't leave it on a table at a restaurant so everyone can see it, and try not to use it when using public transportation or while you are walking alone. Furthermore, don't hand your smartphone to others who ask to make a call or for directions.

The Federal Communications Commission suggests that if you are not certain whether your smartphone was stolen or if you misplaced it, try calling it or use any anti-theft software that you may have installed.

  • Lock it. Hopefully, you have installed an anti-theft app on your device, now is the time to use it! Lock your smartphone, wipe your personal information, and/or activate an alarm if your app has that feature.
  • Report the theft. If you know your smartphone has been stolen, immediately call your local police department. Provide the manufacturer's name and model, serial number and IMEI number from your smartphone. Most of this information is on the original box your smartphone came in. Let police know what kinds of security apps were on the smartphone, and get a police report number from them. Following your call to the police, call Southern Linc at 1-800-818-5462 with your police report number so we can assist you in limiting unauthorized use and help with the next steps to acquire a replacement smartphone. If your device was lost, call us at 1-800-818-5462 so we can assist you in limiting unauthorized use and help with the next steps to acquire a replacement smartphone.
  • Erase your smartphone. If you downloaded an app that permits you to "wipe" your smartphone remotely, do so. (This is why a backup for your smartphone content is very important.)

Southern Linc and CTIA remind you that your personal safety, not your smartphone, should always be your number one priority. Do not try to recover you smartphone from a thief on your own.

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or call us at 1-800-818-LINC (5462)