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Hidden telecom fees calculator: the real cost of your cable/internet bill

A 2018 Consumer Reports analysis of over 22,000 cable and broadband bills found that additional charges beyond the advertised price average a 33% markup. Some of that is government tax passed through to you — some is a fee the provider invented entirely on its own. Add up your actual bill below to see which is which.

Now add every other line item from your actual bill

Government/regulatory fees (e.g. Universal Service Fund charges, local franchise fees, 911 fees) are taxes the provider collects on behalf of government and passes through — legitimate, though still worth knowing about. Company-imposed fees (e.g. "Broadcast TV Fee," "Regional Sports Fee," equipment/box rental fees, "HD Technology Fee") are invented entirely by the provider itself — these are the ones that inflate the advertised price without any government requiring it.