FCC proposes to eliminate landlines. Comments due April 18.

[Guest guest]

Please voice your opposition to this proposal. It is discriminatory

against those of us who cannot use and/or are concerned about the

health effects of cell phones. This is also a terrible precedent to

set for our children in light of the overwhelming research that

substantiates the health effects of wireless radiation. If you don't

object on the grounds of removal of free choice for yourself, please

consider doing so for the sake of the next generation and for those of

us who suffer adverse health effects from this technology. Feel free

to forward.

Thank you,

Adkins, M.Ed.

Rhode Island Regional Director

Citizens for Safe Technology

www.citizensforsafetechnology.org

--- FCC proposes to eliminate landlines. Comments due April 18.

Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:14:42 -0700

From: bearstar@...

bearstar@...

To all interested parties:

The FCC is proposing to take the first specific steps toward the

elimination of landline telephones. Comments from the public are due

on or before April 18, 2011.

Below is a summary of what is being proposed. If you wish to send

comments, the easiest way is to send them electronically by going to

www.regulations.gov

.. Click on " submit a comment. " Then enter " FCC-2011-0078-0001 " into

the " Enter Keyword or ID " field and click on " Search. " When the next

screen appears, click on " Submit a Comment " next to the result. The

result will be titled " Developing a Unified Intercarrier Compensation. "

You can type a simple comment of up to 2000 words, or you can attach

any documents you wish. Attached word documents should be double spaced.

Summary

The complete FCC proposal can be found at

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0209/FCC-11-13A1.pdf

..

Briefly, the FCC believes that the switched telephone network (i.e.

telephone lines and switching centers) is obsolete and should be

dismantled. Therefore FCC's policy is to phase out telephone lines

during the coming years and replace them with broadband service. In

other words, the FCC wants ordinary telephones to be entirely replaced

with cell phones and computers (voice over Internet). The first step

is to take money that is now being used to subsidize rural telephone

service and subsidize broadband (i.e. Internet) services instead.

The Universal Service Fund is a federal fund paid for by a surcharge

on everyone's long distance telephone bill. Until now, the fund has

been used to subsidize telephone service in rural areas, as well as

telephone service to people with low incomes, to make sure all

Americans have access to a telephone.

This proposal by the FCC would eliminate some subsidies for ordinary

telephone services within two years and reallocate Universal Service

Fund money to pay for fixed and wireless broadband instead. This is

the first step in eliminating the Universal Service Fund itself and

creating a " Connect America Fund, " which could only be used to

subsidize fixed and wireless broadband.

In addition, the FCC is proposing to reduce the allowable per-minute

rate for long distance phone calls, which will make it less profitable

for companies to operate landlines.

The most important thing the FCC needs to hear from you is that the

switched telephone network must be maintained. The Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance Board ( " the Access Board " ), is the

federal agency that administers the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to the Access Board, an estimated 3% of the population, or

almost 10 million Americans, have electromagnetic sensitivities

(http://www.access-board.gov/research/ieq/intro.cfm

). They cannot use wireless technology and have difficulty using

computers. They depend on the switched telephone network for voice

communication. " Universal Service " is not universal if it excludes 10

million people. Eliminating landlines will leave millions of Americans

without even basic telephone service.

If you are a person who depends on landlines for your communication

needs, please send in your comments and tell that to the FCC.

Arthur Firstenberg, President

Cellular Phone Task Force

PO Box 6216

Santa Fe, NM 87502

(505) 471-0129