Voice Accounting Policy Settings

The amount of time (in seconds) that occurs between call initiation and when call charging begins. This number must be less than Minimum Charge Duration.

This setting accommodates CDMA networks where the actual call connection time cannot always be known specifically. The setting thus allows an amount of time between the point where a user initiates the call (when the tap the Call button after dialing the number) and when the real connection has made before call charging begins.

For policies on GSM networks, this value should be 0 (zero).

The minimum amount of time (in seconds) that a call is charged for. This number must be greater than Call Connection Grace Period and greater than or equal to the Accounting Increment.

This setting allows you to set a minimum charge for calls. A minimum charge is often useful to cover call setup costs for roaming calls, and for some municipalities, it is required for roaming. For example, the European Union passed a law in 2012 that regulates charging for roaming that reads in part:

"Providers of regulated roaming calls at the retail level should therefore be required to bill their customers on a per-second basis for all calls subject to a euro-voice tariff subject only to the possibility to apply a minimum initial charging period of no more than 30 seconds for calls made. This will enable roaming providers to cover any reasonable set-up costs and to provide flexibility to compete by offering shorter minimum charging periods."