Information of interest to people using California area codes.
 

Information about a tax/fee that might apply to you.

The cellular companies in California conspired with their trade association
to increase rates in California by sticking a surcharge on customers that had
previously been paid by the cellular companies.

It is called the MTS-----Mobile Telephone Surcharge.
It came into effect 1/1/2016.

More information on the topic than anyone will want to know:

http://www.mtsnotice.com/

https://www.airvoicewireless.com/MTS/

http://www.att.com/esupport/article....less/KM1062860

https://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/mts.htm

https://www.boe.ca.gov/industry/prep...html#mts_rates

It will be interesting to see if and how small non-California MVNOs will handle or notice this.
Also, international SIM cards with California phone numbers?

To be seen.

I would say nothing changes because i am not buying any services in california.

"California law requires all sellers of prepaid wireless service to collect certain taxes, fees and mandatory surcharges from prepaid consumers at the time of purchase"

This is a non-issue. We in California have always had these fees and taxes added to our bill. What this does is get the low end users who are on prepaid plans to also pay these charges. While prepaid services were always offered overseas, the mainline carriers in the US did not introduce prepaid until years after cellular came into existence.

Actually, the cell companies did pay the taxes before but now they have shifted the costs to the buyer and they thus are making more money by keeping the amount they are no longer paying.

Update
 

Using Callingmart avoids these charges.

Interesting. o.O