Two years ago the FCC tried and (with your help and letters of protest) failed to institute regulations that would impose additional costs on modem users for data communications.
Now, they are at it again. A new regulation that the FCC is quietly working on will directly affect you as the user of a computer and modem. The FCC proposes that users of modems should pay extra charges for use of the public telephone network which carry their data. In addition, computer network services such as CompuServ, Tymnet, & Telenet would also be charged as much as $6.00 per hour per user for use of the public telephone network. These charges would very likely be passed on to the subscribers. The money is to be collected and given to the telephone company in an effort to raise funds lost to deregulation.
Jim Eason of KGO newstalk radio (San Francisco, Ca) commented on the proposal during his afternoon radio program during which, he said he learned of the new regulation in an article in the New York Times. Jim took the time to gather the addresses which are given below.
Here's what you can do NOW!:
Mail letters of protest to the:
Chairman of the FCC,
Chairman of the House Telecommunication Subcommittee,
and the Chairman of the Senate Communication Subcommittee.
Alll you have to do is print the FCC letters file, sign your name and address at the bottom, print the FCC Labels page, and provide three envelopes and three stamps. Get as many people as you can to do this, It is vitally important to our community that we stop this ridiculous proposal.
Even if you don’t use a computer and telephone lines together, you must agree that this grossly unfair proposal is a violation of our rights as Americans, and must be stopped.
Thanks for all your help.
The addresses are:
Chairman of the FCC
1919 M Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
Chairman, House Telecommunication Subcommittee
B-331 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Chairman, Senate Communication Subcommittee
SH-227 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The letter should be similar to:
March 19, 1990
Chairman of the FCC
1919 M Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
Dear Sir,
Please allow me to express my displeasure with the FCC proposal which would authorize a surcharge for the use of modems on the telephone network. This regulation is nothing less than an attempt to restrict the free exchange of information among the growing number of computer users.
Calls placed using modems require no special telephone company equipment, and users of modems pay the phone company for use of the network in the form of a monthly bill.
In short, a modem call is the same as a voice call and therefore should not be subject to any additional regulation.
