Posted by Andrew McAfee on
URL: https://www.es-forum.com/FCC-proposes-to-eliminate-landlines-Comments-due-April-18-tp2760828.html



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,
Mary Adkins, M.Ed.
Rhode Island Regional Director
Citizens for Safe Technology
www.citizensforsafetechnology.org

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FCC proposes to eliminate landlines. Comments due April 18.
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:14:42 -0700
From: [hidden email]
To: [hidden email]



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telephone lines and switching centers) is obsolete and should be  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



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