Terms of Service (TOS)

Version 2.3 Updated 8/27/2024

These Terms of Service (“TOS”) describe the contractual agreement between us, New Horizon Communications Corp. (“NHC” or “Company”) and you, the Customer (“Customer”). The TOS is incorporated into the documents signed by NHC and the Customer called the Master Service Agreement (MSA) and Service Order Addendum(s) (“SOA”), setting forth the details of the terms and specific services which you have ordered and contracted for with NHC.

1) Application of Terms of Service: These TOS are incorporated by reference to the Master Service Agreement (“MSA”) and Service Order Addendum(s) (“SOA”) between New Horizon Communications Corp. (“NHC”) and Customer. If there is any conflict between the rates, terms and conditions set forth in the applicable tariff, the SOA, the TOS, MSA or any Addendum to the MSA (“Addendum”), the following order of precedence shall apply: the terms and conditions of the applicable filed tariff shall have first precedence, any Addendum shall have second precedence, the TOS shall have third precedence, and the MSA and/or SOA shall have fourth precedence. 

2) Services: NHC agrees to provide Customer the services, equipment and or software described in each SOA. Services provided under any SOA shall be governed by the terms and conditions set forth in the MSA and/or SOA and in this TOS, as well as the terms and conditions found in applicable NHC tariffs or price lists on file with state regulatory agencies and/or with the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”). NHC reserves the right, in its sole reasonable discretion, to reject any MSA, Addendum, or SOA(s) prior to NHC’s signature. NHC will use reasonable efforts to install services ordered under the SOA(s); however, NHC does not guarantee that services will be installed and provisioned on Customer’s desired date for installation. During the term of any SOA(s), NHC reserves the right to modify pricing as set forth in the SOA(s) or elsewhere upon 30 days written notice to Customer (where such notice may be provided by email to Customer); in such event, Customer shall be free, by providing written notice to NHC during the 30-day notice period, to terminate the service(s) for which pricing was increased.

3) Changes to Services: NHC reserves the right to change the TOS as described in this paragraph. Any changes will become effective 30 days after the change is posted on the following website (http://www.nhcgrp.com/tos/). NHC will provide the Customer with notice of any change which materially affects the Customer’s services with NHC. If the change to the TOS materially adversely affects the Customer’s use of NHC services, and NHC cannot reasonably mitigate the impact on the services, then Customer may terminate the service upon reasonable notice to NHC and without further obligation. The Customer’s continued use of the Services constitutes acceptance of any such changes; provided that Customer will receive specific notice of material changes to these TOS at the email associated with Customer’s account and the effective date of such material changes will be provided for in such email notice. It is Customer’s responsibility to maintain a current email address to receive notices pursuant to this Agreement and for other purposes. 

4) Rates and Charges 

(a) Rates: Rates for Products and Services are defined in the relevant SOA(s) or in the TOS. 

(b) Rate Adjustments: NHC may impose on Customer additional regulatory fees; administrative charges; and charges, fees, or surcharges for the costs NHC incurs in complying with governmental programs. These fees, charges or surcharges may include state and federal Universal Service Fund (“FUSF”) fees, Compensation to Payphone Providers, Telephone Relay Service, or Gross Receipts surcharges, and the amounts may vary. If the FCC requires that NHC contribute to the FUSF based on Services that NHC in good faith has treated as exempt, NHC will bill Customer the FUSF fees for such Services beginning on the date the FCC establishes that such Services became subject to FUSF contributions. 

(c) Taxes: NHC’s rates and charges for Services do not include taxes, nor do the rates and charges contemplate those taxes will be deducted or withheld by Customer from the payments Customer makes to NHC. Customer will pay all taxes, including, but not limited to, sales, use, gross receipts, excise, VAT, property, transaction, or other local, state, or national taxes or charges imposed on, or based upon, the provision, sale or use of Products or Services. Customer will not deduct any withholding taxes (or taxes deducted at the source) from any invoiced amounts. Customer will not be responsible for payment of NHC’s direct income taxes, employment taxes, and any other tax to the extent that Customer demonstrates a legitimate exemption under applicable law. Additional information on the taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges collected by NHC is included at the end of this TOS. 

5) Term Commitment and Service Start Date: Customer shall utilize NHC’s service(s) as specified in each SOA for the duration of the term(s) specified in the associated SOA for such services. The initial term of services provided pursuant to each SOA will automatically renew for successive one (1) year periods unless Customer notifies NHC in writing of Customer’s desire not to renew at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the then current term. The term of any SOA will commence on the “Service Start Date.” The “Service Start Date” shall mean the date when NHC tests and initiates the service associated with a SOA and notifies the Customer that service has been initiated. On the Service Start Date, NHC will begin billing Customer for such services.

NHC is not responsible for any delays that impede the Customer’s ability to use the installed service, including but not limited to, delays requested by the Customer or caused by third party delays incurred because of problems connecting the installed service to the Customer’s LAN, WAN, PBX, or other customer premise equipment (“CPE”) by Customer or third party. Customer will bear the costs of any additional apparatus reasonably required to be installed because of the use of NHC’s network or facilities. Except as set forth in NHC’s applicable tariff(s) or a SOA, the minimum period for Services provided is ninety (90) days (“Minimum Period”).

6) Termination without Cause: Following expiration of any applicable Minimum Period, either party to an Agreement may terminate any service provided under a month-to-month service option with sixty (60) days prior written notice. In the event Customer terminates or discontinues any service provided under a term plan with NHC prior to the expiration of the then current term, Customer shall pay NHC: the monthly recurring charges and minimum monthly usage amount (if applicable) multiplied by the number of months remaining in the service term period (“The early termination charge.”).  

7) Termination for Cause: Customer shall be in default of an Agreement if: 

(a) Customer fails to pay any undisputed amount due hereunder within thirty (30) days of the payment due date, or 

(b) Customer provides inaccurate, false, or otherwise misleading information in its application for service, or 

(c) Customer utilizes NHC’s services for any unlawful purpose or for any other purpose than that for which the service is intended, or 

(d) Customer violates any provision of the NHC Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”), as amended from time to time, (http://www.nhcgrp.com/privacy-legal-notices/). 

(e) In the case of Termination for Cause, the Customer shall be responsible for the costs of all outstanding charges as of the date of the termination. The Customer shall also be liable for any early termination charges as calculated in paragraph 6 above. The Customer shall also be responsible for the return to NHC of any equipment provided to the Customer by NHC. The Customer may also be liable for reasonable costs and attorney’s fees associated with the collection of any overdue balances due to NHC. Any such charges will be due within 30 days of the date of the notice of termination or the date of termination whichever is later. 

8) Order Cancellation: Customer shall pay an order cancellation fee (a minimum of $250.00 or equivalent to the actual cost of equipment, lines, and installation, whichever is greater) should the Customer initiate the cancellation of Customer’s service order associated with a particular SOA prior to test and turn up of the service. Customer shall be responsible for any charges imposed by an underlying carrier arising out of any delay or inability of the carrier to install services ordered by Customer which delay is caused by the Customer or third party (Customer Not Ready (“CNR”) charges).

Because there may be circumstances under which NHC may not be able to provide Services, NHC reserves the right, in such instances, to immediately cancel/discontinue service order(s) without liability or further obligations to the Customer.

9) Payments: Customer shall pay all charges included in the monthly invoice including service charges and fees as set forth in each SOA, including, but not limited to, nonrecurring incidental charges (such as charges associated with installation, line maintenance, expedites, moves, adds, changes, deletions, and cancellations), equipment purchases, surcharges, regulatory fees, taxes, and other charges required by law within 30 days from the date of the invoice. The initial invoice for all NHC services is inclusive of pro-rated charges from the date of service activation, applied one month in advance for voice, hardware, and security services and two months in advance for data and Internet services. Charges for maintenance and repair shall be billed to Customer pursuant the “NHC Maintenance and Repair Program” and any applicable tariffs. Customer will indemnify NHC for any and all costs, claims, taxes, charges, and surcharges levied against NHC relative to a proof of exemption that Customer provides NHC. Customer shall pay all service charges promptly upon the completion of installation for each specified service associated with each SOA. For the avoidance of any doubt, for installations associated with a service provided under a SOA that includes multiple locations or an installation process that is phased in over a period of time, Customer shall pay service charges promptly upon the completion of each installation for each specified service associated with each SOA at each particular location or the conclusion of each phase of the installation process, whichever is earlier. Additional fees for changes may apply to changes in the Service Order associated with a particular SOA that is requested by Customer after the SOA is signed. Upon Customer’s receipt of an NHC invoice, all payments associated with the NHC invoice shall be due and the Customer shall pay such amounts. NHC will be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in connection with the collection of any delinquent balance due to the Company. 

10) Payment options: Customers may pay by wire transfer, check, money order, AMEX, Visa, or MasterCard. Payments by AMEX, Visa or MasterCard are subject to a 3% surcharge where allowable by law. NHC reserves the right to assess a late fee of the lesser of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month or the maximum allowed by law for any payment not received by the due date of the invoice thirty (30) days. The late charges will be in addition to any other charges accrued because of the Customer’s failure to pay for services ordered and delivered or a material violation of the terms of the TOS. All Customer payments to NHC shall be in U.S. currency, unless otherwise agreed to by NHC. 

11) Unauthorized Usage(s): Customer shall be liable for all charges associated with the use of NHC’s services, including charges that result from theft, abuse, or misuse, as well as fraudulent, and/or unauthorized use of such service not caused directly by documented errors of NHC. 

12) Third-Party Charges: NHC shall not be liable for any third-party charges arising from or related to the termination of any previous agreement for services or the failure of Customer to terminate any previous agreement for services. If any property owner, under which Customer is a tenant, assesses a fee against NHC in order to, or because of, the provisioning of any services to Customer, NHC may pass through such charges to Customer. 

13) Billing Disputes 

(a) If Customer disputes a charge in good faith, Customer shall (1) pay all undisputed charges within 30 days of the date of the disputed invoice, and (2) within 60 days of the date of the invoice provide written, specific notice, with all supporting documentation, to NHC of the disputed amount through the NHC claims submission process. All current Customers have access to NHC’s Customer portal called MAP. MAP requires a username and password that was emailed to the Customer as part of NHC’s initial Customer welcome package. The portal can be accessed at www.nhcgrp.com. Customers can access NHC’s billing dispute system via MAP under the Online Bill tab and Invoice section then a subsection called “Billing Ticket Dispute.”  Upon the Customer’s submission of a dispute, the Customer will receive an electronically generated billing ticket receipt and number. This ticket number should be used as a reference for all future correspondence. Customers can also email NHC at billing@nhcgrp.com with dispute information and a billing dispute ticket number will be sent back within two (2) business days. NHC shall undertake a reasonable, good faith effort to review Customer’s disputes within thirty (30) days of the date NHC issues a billing dispute ticket number.  

(b) Should NHC deny a dispute submitted by Customer, Customer shall have ten (10) business days by which either to pay the disputed amounts or to escalate the dispute to the level of the NHC Vice President. NHC requests that the Customer also escalate the dispute within their organization to a VP or equivalent level. The NHC Vice President or his or her designee shall provide Customer with written notice of NHC’ final decision within 30 days of receipt of the notice of escalation. Failure to timely dispute a charge or failure to timely escalate a dispute shall waive any further right to dispute a charge.  

(c) Any disputed amount which is not resolved in Customer’s favor shall be paid within ten (10) days of receipt of the final notice of denial of the billing dispute. 

(d) This section does not apply to any charges resulting from Customer’s material violation of the terms of the TOS, MSA, Addendum and/or SOA, including but not limited to failure to pay for Services ordered and delivered timely and the termination of Services incurred as a result of a violation of the terms of the TOS, MSA, Addendum and/or SOA. 

14) Suspension of Service: Should Customer fail to keep its account current, NHC has the right to suspend Customer’s service upon ten (10) days written notice (except as specified by FCC or state regulations, where applicable) and continue billing until sufficient payment has been received to bring Customer’s account current. If the service is suspended due to Customer’s non-payment, the Company will not restore service until all charges are paid in full. A minimum $100.00 restoration fee will be charged by the Company. 

15) Termination of Service:   If the Customer fails to fully pay an outstanding invoice within 30 days of the due date and within 10 days of a notice of suspension or a notice to disconnect services, the Company may disconnect service, without further notice. Upon termination of service, the Company shall reclaim all Company owned IP addresses, all public IP addresses assigned by the Company to the Customer, the Customer shall also be liable for early termination fees as calculated in paragraph 6 above. If service is disconnected but can be restored, the Company will only do so at the Customer’s written request after all charges including a minimum $500.00 restoration charge.  

16) Credit Inquiries/Deposits: Customer authorizes NHC to inquire into Customer’s credit history, including asking consumer reporting agencies and/or other references for Customer credit information. Notwithstanding any applicable laws or regulations to the contrary, NHC reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to (a) refuse to provide the service requested or provisioned, or (b) require a non-interest bearing security deposit, refunded upon the payment in full of all outstanding invoices, based on Customer’s credit worthiness. If Customer fails to pay any amount due to NHC under the TOS, MSA, Addendum or SOA, NHC shall have the right, but not the obligation, to apply the security deposit to the outstanding amounts due and may demand, as a condition of continued service, that Customer provide an additional non-interest-bearing security deposit. 

17) Important Information Regarding Emergency Services: NHC’s newVoice family of Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) Services supports E911 Service in much the same way as traditional circuit-based local telephone service, with certain exceptions. Under certain circumstances, E911 Service may not be available through your VoIP service. 

(a) For example, E911 Service will also not be available through your VoIP Service if (i) your VoIP-compatible equipment fails, (ii) your internet connection fails, (iii) you lose electrical power to your VoIP-compatible equipment, or (iv) your VoIP, internet service is suspended or terminated, (V)network congestion may cause your E911 call to experience a delay or fail to connect. Finally, E911 Service may not be available/accurate through your VoIP service (i) if you use a telephone number with your VoIP service which is not associated with an e911 physical location, or (ii) during the period in which the physical location at which you are registered to VoIP service is being uploaded or modified into pertinent databases. 

(b) Every newVoice telephone number (as of January 6, 2021) is associated with a physical customer address. This way, emergency services know precisely where the caller is located. If the telephone number, phone system, or device is moved to another location. The customer must update its e911 physical address via NHC customer portal or customer support ticket. If not updated accurately, emergency calls will go to the emergency call center associated with the previous location. 

(c) E911 Service will not function outside of the Continental US and Canada. Even if such calls route to the emergency call center associated with the prior location, the emergency operator may not be able to: (i) transfer the emergency call to the correct emergency call center; (ii) dispatch emergency personnel to your new location; and (iii) may not get automatic call-back and automatic location information.  

(d) For newVoice VoIP installations, NHC will notify the customer via email that 911 service has been programmed to the customer’s requested address. Post installation changes to e911 physical address should be updated by customer/end user via NHC customer portal or creation of customer support ticket.  

**E911 changes utilizing NHC customer portal are near real time  

(e) By using the VoIP Services or NHC Equipment, Customer acknowledges the limitations of emergency services in this section, Customer is advised to read thoroughly and understand this disclosure. Customer acknowledges that it has received the VoIP E911 Disclosure in this section, has read, understands, and agrees to the terms and conditions of this VoIP E911 Disclosure, and assumes the risks associated with the Services. 

(f) CUSTOMER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT NHC DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY SERVICE OUTAGE OR INABILITY TO COMPLETE EMERGENCY 911 CALLS FROM ANY CUSTOMER LINE OR DEVICE OR THE SERVICES OR TO ACCESS EMERGENCY SERVICE OPERATORS. CUSTOMER SHALL PROTECT, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS NHC, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS AND ANY OTHER SERVICE PROVIDER THAT FURNISHES SERVICES TO CUSTOMER IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE, FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LAWSUITS, LOSSES, DAMAGES, LIABILITY, FINES, PENALTIES, COSTS, AND EXPENSES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS, ARISING FROM, OR RELATED TO, ANY ABSENCE, FAILURE, OR OUTAGE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, EMERGENCY 911 CALLING AND/OR INABILITY OF CUSTOMER OR ANY CUSTOMER EMPLOYEE, THIRD PERSON OR PARTY, OR USER OF THE SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO CALL 911 OR TO ACCESS EMERGENCY SERVICE OPERATOR. IN NO EVENT SHALL NHC BE LIABLE TO CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES RELATED TO CUSTOMER’S (OR ANY CUSTOMER EMPLOYEE, AGENT, OR CONTRACTOR, OR THIRD PERSON OR THIRD PARTY OR USER OF THE SERVICES) USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE 911 CALLING SERVICES. 

18) Telephone Numbers: Telephone numbers are assigned to the business entity (Customer) named on the SOA and not to any individual owner or operator of the business. Customer shall designate those individuals authorized to make changes to the Customer’s account with NHC, including changes to the services or to the telephone numbers in conformity with applicable law. NHC shall be held harmless for any changes authorized by the individuals designated by Customer. NHC shall take all reasonable measures to provide Customer with continuation of existing telephone numbers. However, if Customer is changing location at the time of conversion or taking service for the first time at a location, NHC makes no warranties regarding assignment of particular telephone numbers to Customer. NHC shall not be liable to Customer for any change in telephone numbers due to actions of any vendor or supplier of services to NHC. Customer’s reliance upon and/or use of any service numbering information prior to installation and acceptance of service is at the Customer’s risk. 

19) Access to Customer Premises and Equipment: Customer shall provide NHC with reasonable access to Customer’s premises, internal wiring, CPE, and other facilities and equipment to allow NHC to install, maintain and repair Customer’s service, as reasonable and necessary. With respect to any installation, NHC reserves the right to bill Customer a $250.00 fee for each missed scheduled appointment date. Should NHC repeatedly be unable to access the Customer’s premises for required installation and service, NHC reserves the right to cancel the service request. NHC is not responsible for any delays that impede the Customer’s ability to use the installed service, including but not limited to delays requested by Customer or caused by a third party or delays incurred because of problems connecting the installed service to Customer’s LAN, PBX, or other CPE by Customer or a third party. 

20) NHC Provided Customer Premise Equipment: Equipment may be provided for rent or purchase by NHC Resources, an affiliate of NHC or as service associated with one of NHC’s underlying carrier partners. All equipment charges will be combined with service charges in Customer’s monthly invoice generated by NHC. 

(a) Equipment Rental: Rental equipment is the property of NHC. Rented equipment is for normal business use only. NHC will repair or replace all rented equipment that has not been damaged or worn due to excessive use or abuse. The customer must contact NHC repair at repair@nhcgrp.com/855-600-4NHC or enter a trouble ticket via our customer portal called MAP accessed through our web site at www.nhcgrp.com to describe the repair issue and to receive instructions regarding the return and replacement of the equipment. The customer will be billed for any equipment that has been damaged or abused beyond normal use or that was lost or stolen from their premises. The specific method of calculation will depend on the relevant facts but, in general, NHC will calculate the value of such equipment using the “replacement cost” method meaning calculating what it would cost NHC to replace such equipment considering the age and useful life of such equipment. 

(b) Equipment Purchase: All equipment purchased by Customer from NHC Resources and billed by NHC, will remain Customer’s property upon the expiration of the Agreement. The Customer will be billed for equipment purchases once the equipment has been shipped to the customer. All purchased equipment has a 1- year manufacturer’s warranty. Upon warranty expiration, the customer is responsible for either repairing or purchasing replacement equipment. 

(c) NHC Property: NHC equipment and the equipment of NHC’s underlying carriers will remain the sole and exclusive property of NHC, its underlying carriers, or NHC’s assignee, as may be applicable. Customer will not tamper with, remove, or conceal any NHC equipment, identifying plates, tags, or labels. Customer will indemnify, hold harmless and defend NHC and its underlying carriers against any liens placed on NHC equipment or the equipment of NHC’s underlying carriers due to Customer’s action or inaction. Any lien will be discharged by Customer within ten (10) days of notice of filing. Failure to discharge any such lien is a material breach of this Agreement and may result in immediate termination. NHC reserves the right to substitute, change or rearrange any equipment used in delivering services that does not affect the quality, cost, or type of services. 

(d) Property to be Returned Upon Termination: When any service provided under the Agreement is terminated, all public IP Addresses assigned by NHC to Customer that are associated with the Agreement’s services being terminated shall revert back to NHC, and Customer shall return all NHC property or the property of NHC’s underlying carriers (including but not limited to NHC routers, switches, equipment, facilities and software) to NHC that is associated with the Agreement service being terminated. If the property is not returned and received within sixty (60) days of the service termination date, NHC will bill Customer for the non-returned property within two (2) monthly billing cycles following the service termination date, which Customer shall pay in full, within thirty (30) days of receipt of such bill. 

21) Use of Service: Customer shall not use the service in any manner other than that for which the service was intended and shall refrain from using the services in any manner that would adversely affect the equipment or network of NHC and/or its underlying carrier, or the service that NHC and/or its underlying carrier provides to others. Customer shall not use the service in any manner that violates Federal, State or Local laws. NHC reserves the right to discontinue service without notice in the event of any such unlawful or adverse use Customer understands and agrees that it is liable for all use of this service and/or device by the Customer or any person making use of the service or device. Customer may not use this service or device for any unlawful, abusive, or fraudulent purpose, or in a manner that violates NHC’s AUP. 

22) Interruption of Service Caused By Force Majeure: NHC shall not be liable for any delay or failure of performance of any part of the Agreement to the extent that such failure or delay is caused by Acts of God, acts beyond the reasonable control of NHC, inability to secure products or services of other persons or transportation facilities, or acts or omissions of common carriers or third parties. 

23) Allowances for Interruptions in Service: A credit allowance will be given when service is interrupted, except as specified below. A service is interrupted when it becomes inoperative to the Customer, e.g., the Customer is unable to transmit or receive, because of a failure of a component or service furnished by NHC. An interruption period begins when Customer reports a service, facility, or circuit to be interrupted through the opening of a trouble ticket and makes it available for testing and repair. NHC’s 7×24 Repair Center is available via telephone at 866-241-9423, email repairs@nhcgrp.com or through our Customer portal called MAP accessed from our website at www.nhcgrp.com. An interruption period ends when the service, facility, or circuit is operative. Once the service has been restored, the customer can request a credit via our MAP portal. Credits are available for request after the service has been impacted for twenty-four (24) hours. Once in MAP, please access the tab CUSTOMER SERVICE/BILLING TICKETS and enter the repair ticket information and a request for NHC to determine the credit. NHC will respond via the portal within five (5) business days. Credits are calculated based on the number of days out of service calculated after the first twenty-four (24) hours within a standard thirty (30) day month. If the Customer reports a service, facility, or circuit to be interrupted but declines to release it for testing and repair or refuses access to its premises for test and repair by NHC, the service, facility or circuit is considered to be impaired but not interrupted. No credit allowances will be made for a service, facility or circuit considered by the NHC to be impaired.  

(a) Limitations on Allowances: No credit allowance will be made for any interruption in service: 

(i) Due to the negligence of or noncompliance with the provisions of the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and/or SOA by any person or entity other than the Company, including but not limited to the Customer. 

(ii) Due to the failure of power, equipment, systems, connections, or services not provided by the Company. 

(iii) Due to circumstances or causes beyond the reasonable control of the Company. 

(iv) Due to any violation of applicable Federal, State or Local laws by the Customer or caused by the negligence or other failure to comply with its legal obligations. 

(iv) During any period in which the Company is not given full and free access to its facilities and equipment for the purposes of investigating and correcting interruptions. 

(v) A service will not be deemed to be interrupted if a Customer continues to voluntarily make use of the service.  

(vi) During any period when the Customer has released service to the Company for maintenance purposes or for implementation of a customer order for a change in service arrangements. 

(viii) That was not reported to the Company within thirty (30) days of the date that service was affected. 

(ix) For reasons specified in Section 22 above.  

(b) Use of Other Means of Communications: If the Customer elects to use another means of communications provided by NHC during the period of interruption, the Customer must pay the charges for the alternative service used. 

(c) Application of Credits for Interruptions in Service: 

(i) Credits for interruptions in service that are provided and billed on a flat rate basis for a minimum period of at least one month, beginning on the date that billing becomes effective, shall in no event exceed an amount equivalent to the proportionate charge to the Customer for the period of service during which the event that gave rise to the claim for a credit occurred. A credit allowance is applied on a pro rata basis after 24 hours of service impact against the rates specified hereunder and is dependent upon the length of the interruption. Only those facilities on the interrupted portion of the circuit will receive a credit. 

(ii) For calculating credit allowances, every month is considered to have thirty (30) days. 

24) Warranties: Except as and only to the extent expressly provided in the TOS, MSA, Addendum, or SOA(s) to the contrary, Services are provided “as is.” NHC makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the description, completeness, quality, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose of any service provided pursuant to the Agreement, or that any such service shall be uninterrupted or error-free, unless expressly provided by both NHC and the Customer. NHC DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE ERROR FREE, UNINTERRUPTED OR SECURE FROM THIRD-PARTY ATTACKS. THE PRECEDING DISCLAIMERS INCLUDE AN EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY CUSTOMER THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, NHC DOES NOT MAKE ANY PROMISE TO CUSTOMER THAT: THE SERVICES OR PRODUCTS ARE FREE FROM DEFECTS; THE SERVICES OR PRODUCTS WILL PERFORM IN ANY SPECIFIC MANNER, AT A PARTICULAR SPEED, OR TO ANY PARTICULAR STANDARD; MANAGED OR OTHER SECURITY SERVICES WILL PROVIDE ANY PARTICULAR LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR CUSTOMER’S COMPUTERS, NETWORKS OR SYSTEMS; HOSTED SERVICES WILL MEET ANY PARTICULAR LEVEL OF SECURITY, RELIABILITY OR COMPLIANCE, OR THE SERVICES OR PRODUCTS CAN BE USED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. 

25) Indemnification:  

Customer shall indemnify, defend, and hold NHC, its parent, affiliates, employees, directors, officers, agents, underlying carriers, and sub-contractors, harmless from any claim, loss or damages (whether in the form of a demand claim, lawsuit or arbitration, including actual attorneys’ fees, arising from or resulting from Customer’s order or use of the Services, any unauthorized use of the Services, placement of material or content on NHC’s network, or from use of NHC’s services by a  third party, regardless of Customer’s knowledge or consent. In addition, NHC shall indemnify, defend, and hold the Customer, its parent, affiliates, employees, directors, officers, agents, underlying carriers, and sub-contractors, harmless from any claim, loss, or damages, including actual attorneys’ fees, from any claim, loss or damages to the extent that such claim, loss or damage was caused by NHC’s gross negligence or misconduct in connection with the Customers authorized use of the Services. 

26) Customer Warranties: 

(a) Customer represents and warrants that neither its equipment nor facilities will pose a hazard to NHC’s equipment or facilities or create a hazard to NHC’s personnel or customers or the public in general. 

(b) Customer represents and warrants that its use of the services will comply and conform with NHC’s AUP along with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, administrative and regulatory requirements and any other authorities having jurisdiction over the subject matter of the Agreement and Customer will be responsible for applying for obtaining and maintaining all registrations and certifications which may be required by such authorities. 

(c) Customer represents and warrants that it will not resell all or a portion of the service(s) provided by NHC. 

27) Limitations of Liability: THE COMPANY’S LIABILITY AND CUSTOMER’S EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF CUSTOMER’S USE OF SERVICES AND NOT DISCLAIMED BY WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE TOTAL NET CHARGES TO THE CUSTOMER FOR SERVICE TO WHICH THE CLAIMED DAMAGES RELATE DURING THE PERIOD IN WHICH SUCH CLAIMED DAMAGES OCCUR AND CONTINUE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OTHER LIABILITY ATTACH TO THE COMPANY.  

28) Consequential Damages: NEITHER PARTY WILL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES.  

29) Assignment: Customer may not assign its rights or delegate its responsibilities as set forth in the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and/or SOA without NHC’s express written permission. NHC will permit assignment to a new successor if the Assignment of Services agreement is agreed to by the successor. NHC may, at any time, assign its rights or delegate its obligations hereunder in accordance with the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

30) Survival: Any accrued rights to payment, any remedies that by their nature would survive including without limitation, indemnification, remedies, warranty disclaimers and limits of liability, shall survive any expiration or termination of the TOS, MSA, Addendum, or the SOA. 

31) Compliance with Law: The TOS, MSA, Addendum, and SOA are subject to all applicable law and the obtaining and continuance of any required approvals, authorizations, or tariffs or price lists filed with the FCC or any other governmental agency. NHC will use good faith reasonable efforts to obtain, retain, and maintain such approvals and authorizations. If any applicable law adversely affects the services or requires NHC to provide services other than in accordance with the terms of the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and the SOA, NHC may without liability to the Customer, terminate the affected services upon (30) days written notice to the Customer.  

32) Confidential Information: Customer Proprietary Network Information (“CPNI”) shall only be disclosed in accordance with applicable law and NHC’s policies and procedures. See also, NHC’s Statement of Privacy (http://www.nhcgrp.com/legal-notices/). 

33) Choice of Law and Venue:  Customer agrees that the substantive law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall apply to the interpretation and enforcement of the terms the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and/or SOA and any dispute arising thereunder. Customer further agrees to exclusive jurisdiction and venue for a dispute between them shall be the Courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex County or the United States District Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in Boston, Massachusetts. 

34) Notices: All notices to Customer required by these TOS, MSA, Addendum, and SOA will be in writing and will be made by one or more of the following methods: regular mail, overnight delivery, certified mail, electronic mail, on Customer’s invoice, or by facsimile transmission with receipt verification. Notices will be sent to the address of record, and in the event of multiple addresses, to the address of the parent account. In the case of a notice to NHC, all notices under the TOS, MSA, Addendum, or SOA will be in writing and will be made by personal delivery, overnight delivery, or certified mail to: New Horizon Communications Corp, 200 Baker Avenue, Suite 300, Concord, MA 01742 Attn: Customer Notices. 

35) Entire Agreement and Amendments: The terms and conditions set forth in the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and SOA represent the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the Services provided hereunder, and supersede any prior agreements, promises, offers, communications, representations, statements, negotiations, understandings, or proposals, oral or written between Customer and NHC, any related entity or any of their respective employees, contractors or agents with respect to any services or products offered by NHC. Customer acknowledges and agrees that Customer has not relied upon any statement, promise or representation by NHC, any related entity or any of their respective employees, contractors, or agents, including that relating to the performance, pricing, specification or other aspects of any service or product offered by NHC and not expressly set forth in the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and SOA. If any provision of the TOS, MSA, Addendum, and SOA is held to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remainder of the provisions will nevertheless remain unimpaired and in effect.  

FEES AND SURCHARGES 

36) General Description of Fees and Surcharges: Fees and surcharges are imposed or permitted by a government agency under a rule or regulation. In most cases they are designed to support a specific program (e.g., universal service fund, 911, deaf relay services, etc.). Other fees and surcharges cover our costs associated with providing certain aspects of our service such as repair, network components and long- distance access. 

37) NHC’s Interstate Carrier Cost Recovery Fee: The Interstate Recovery Fee is a percentage of all recurring charges to the customer, excluding certain taxes and surcharges that are a direct pass-through of a tax on the user that is collected by the Company or where the Company chooses to state a surcharge separately. The Interstate Recovery Fee recoups NHC’s costs associated with purchasing certain network components used to provide access service because of FCC rule changes which have dramatically increased the costs of these components. Interstate Carrier Cost Recovery fees and surcharges are used commonly by most carriers to recoup these costs; however, this fee is not mandated by any governmental entities and is instead determined exclusively by NHC. The Interstate Recovery Fee percentage is currently 8.25%. 

38) NHC’s Maintenance and Repair Program: Except as otherwise provided in these TOS, MSA, Addendum or in the SOA, NHC will maintain its network and perform any network upgrades at its sole discretion. NHC will repair service to Customer as necessary to provide the services ordered by Customer on an ongoing basis. Customer shall be required to pay a monthly service charge for maintenance and repair pursuant to the policies and procedures of NHC’s Maintenance and Repair Program. The Maintenance and Repair Program Surcharge covers the cost of repair dispatches, regardless of whether the trouble is determined to be network based, Customer Premise Equipment, or inside wiring (including the jack). This monthly surcharge, computed as a percentage of recurring and usage charges, eliminates the need for one- time charges associated with dispatch and repair visits. The surcharge is currently 2.75% of all charges and all usage except one-time charges / NRCs & Wireless services and Collaboration and Conference Calling services. This surcharge is not applied to taxes or other surcharges. NHC will not be responsible for any third- party repair fees from Customer’s voice and or data equipment vendors. 

39) NHC’s Interstate Telecom Surcharge (ITS): NHC’s Interstate Telecom Surcharge (ITS) rate varies by region. In CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT and WV, the Interstate Telecom Surcharge applies only to lines that are not presubscribed to the Company’s long-distance service. This surcharge applies to basic telephone lines (POTS), business trunks and Centrex lines. This monthly surcharge is $4.50 per line. 

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI and WY the ITS surcharge applies to every basic telephone line (POTs), business trunk and Centrex line. The Surcharge in these states is $4.50. For lines in these states not presubscribed to NHC, an additional surcharge of $4.00 is applied. This fee is NOT mandated by any governmental entities and is instead determined exclusively by NHC. 

40) NHC’s OSS Cost Recovery Charge: Regulatory agencies have allowed NHC’s underlying carriers to charge “wholesale value added resellers” (like NHC) for access into their provisioning and maintenance systems. The OSS (Operating System Support Charge) reflects a portion of that monthly charge which is incurred by NHC per billing account. NHC OSS Cost Recovery Charge is $9.99 per billing account. This fee is NOT mandated by any governmental entities and is instead determined exclusively by NHC. 

41) NHC’s E-Bill Charge:  NHC’s electronic E-Bill is $3.00 per month, to cover the cost of generating and maintaining a feature rich on-line bill with query tools and reports and e-mailing invoice(s) to customers. 

42) Local Number Portability Surcharge (LNP): Local Number Portability (LNP) is a service that provides residential and business traditional (wired) telephone customers with the ability to retain at the same location, their existing local telephone numbers when switching from one local telephone service provider to another. LNP was mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC allows local telephone companies to pass certain costs of implementing and maintaining long term number portability on to their customers. 

NHC’s LNP Rate per line for basic phone line (POTS), business trunk line or Centrex line = $0.99 

NHC’s LNP Rate for circuits (T1 PRI, Integrated/Dynamic DS1’s) = $0.99 

43) Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge (PICC): PICC is a monthly fee that is applied to each basic phone line (POTS, business trunk line or Centrex line) to allow for routing of long- distance service to a long- distance provider. This fee is charged by the long- distance provider. NHC applies this fee when it is the long- distance provider. 

NHC’s rate for PICC on a POTS line or business trunk line is $3.75. 

44) FCC Line Charge: This federally permitted charge billed by NHC as your local telephone company pays for part of the cost of supplying a phone line into a home or business. It is designed to help local phone companies recover the cost of providing “local loops” which refers to outside telephone wires, underground conduit, telephone poles, and other equipment and facilities connecting a telephone user to the telephone network. This is not a tax. It is a charge that is part of the price paid for local telephone service. The FCC line charge applies to basic telephone lines (POTS), business trunk lines, Centrex lines. It also applies to traditional T1 based voice circuits such as PRI or Integrated T1 services: 

NHC’s FCC Line Charge per LEC POTS, business trunks and Centrex line = $8.99 

NHC’s FCC Line Charge per TDM Circuit = $60.00 

45) Common Taxes and Fees: For convenience, the following are descriptions of common taxes and fees collected on behalf of local, state, and federal entities. It is a representative list only. Any given customer’s taxes and fees may not include all these items and may include additional items not described below. 

(a) State and Local Sales Tax – Taxes paid by consumers and directly submitted to appropriate state, county, or city authorities. Typically applies to all services including all surcharges and fees except the E911 charge. May include town, city, or school district taxes. 

(b) Municipal Tax – This Tax recovers expenses associated with municipal revenue taxes, which apply to calls originating and terminating within a village or municipality. Typically applies to all local charges, LNP Surcharge, FCC Line Charge and Federal USF Surcharge 

(c) Transportation Tax Surcharge – This state surcharge, covers mandated taxes collected to fund or support state- wide transportation such as local transportation or state highways. 

(d) State Gross Revenue Tax – This tax recovers expenses associated with mandated corporation franchise taxes and excise taxes on telecommunications services. Typically applies to all services except E-911 surcharge. 

(e) Public Utility Tax – A mandatory tax collected in some states imposed on telecommunications users to fund the operation of the telecommunications utility Authority. 

(f) E911 Tax –This is a fee to compensate local agencies for the costs of establishing, upgrading, and operating the emergency telephone system. The tax is applied to each access line that appears on a NHC telephone services bill. 

(g) Federal Excise Tax – The Federal Excise Tax was introduced in 1898 by the federal government as a temporary tax to support the nation’s efforts in the Spanish-American War. The Tax revenue from the FET goes directly into the Federal General Fund. The tax is applied to all telecommunications services including local, long distance and wireless bills. 

(h) Federal Universal Service Fund Recovery Surcharge – USF provides funding for low-income services, schools, libraries, and high-cost rural service. All telecommunications companies are required to pay a specific percentage of Interstate and International usage into the USF and are permitted to recoup this cost from customers. 

(i) Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge for VoIP Services – similar to above but established and rated specifically for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services such as hosted PBX and SIP trunks. 

46) Non-Recurring Charges – New Installation, Service Order, and Change Charges 

The charges detailed herein are the costs in which NHC can charge a Customer per event. Material costs would be additional and passed on to the Customer. Hourly rates are per technician/engineer. 

General Charges: 

• Simple MACD – up to $300.00 
• Complex MACD - up to $1500.00 
• NHC Technician Dispatch Fee – $125.00 
• NHC Technician Hourly Rate – $175.00 
• Complex Engineering Redesign – $1,500.00 
• Engineering Support Hourly Rate – $200.00 

• Restoration of Service after Disconnection of Service – $500.00 
• Restoration of Service after Suspension of Service – $100.00 
• Suspension Charge - $75.00 

• Billing Discontinuation Simple - $8.99 
• Billing Discontinuation Complex - $89.99 
• E911 Listing Change Charge - $75.00 
• LNP Cancel Fee – $300 per BTN 
• LNP Expedite Fee – $300 per BTN 

Charges related specifically to LEC POTS: 

Non-recurring charges apply to each line for the Customer. 

• New Line Install Charge (Centrex, POTS) - $75.00 
• Calling Feature Change Charge - $8.99 
• Establish Toll Restriction Charge - $75.00 

• Long distance carrier PICC Charge - $5.00 
• Directory Listing Change Charge - $75.00 

 

 

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