Hawaii

Nearly 1 million residents of Hawaii - about 80% of the state's population - benefit from wireless phones nearly every day. Wireless allows you to stay connected with family and friends, to do business on the go, or get help in emergencies. Wireless in Hawaii offers consumers a host of choices among features, phones and plans. So, why did Hawaii's State Legislators threaten to pile costly and complicated new regulations on your wireless service?

Tell your State Lawmakers in Honolulu that Consumers already pay their fair share in high monthly wireless taxes - Vote "NO" on costly and complicated new regulations on wireless service.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

Wireless consumers and businesses across Hawaii already pay double-digit taxes, fees and surcharges on their monthly bills! Almost 11% of your monthly bill is made up of federal, state and local taxes, fees and surcharges. Layers of new state regulations could force even higher costs on consumers, making wireless less affordable and accessible for many residents of Hawaii. That's exactly what your legislators proposed with Senate Bill 1286, which would have empowered the state's Public Utilities Commission to impose even more regulations on your wireless service.

Wireless is already governed by extensive layers of federal, state and local government regulations. These national and state regulations protect consumer interests, while ensuring that competition provides broad choices, great values, and rapid innovation. So, why do lawmakers want to "fix" a flourishing system? One that is so effectively providing clear benefits to so many consumers every day? Especially when the regulatory "fix" threatens to add cost and confusion for 1 million Hawaiian wireless consumers?

How about Hawaii's State Legislators focus instead on the unfair almost 11% tax rate that 1 million residents of Hawaii pay every month on their wireless bills? More state regulations could force even higher costs on consumers. That especially hurts people on fixed monthly budgets - such as seniors, working families and small businesses - and can jeopardize their access to the very benefits that wireless offers.

You’ll Be Paying More, But For What?

According to recent polling data, 93% of American wireless consumers are satisfied with their wireless phone service. 83% think they already pay "too much" or the "right amount" in taxes and fees, and do not want further tax increases. 81% support a 3-year nationwide freeze on new wireless taxes, prohibiting states and localities from raising taxes on wireless services. 75% would not be willing to pay more for so-called "consumer protection" regulations, even spun as a "consumer bill of rights." 71% of consumers support continuing laws that prohibit federal, state or local governments from taxing Internet access or Internet commerce. 67% believe new government regulations on cell phone service would make their cell phone service more expensive.

So, why are State Lawmakers considering costly new regulations that would threaten the affordability and accessibility of wireless services for 1 million residents of Hawaii? Good question -especially considering these regulations would do nothing to improve the quality or coverage of Hawaii’s wireless services, and could actually make them worse by slowing the build-out of wireless networks in both urban and rural areas of the state.

Urge your elected officials to stand up for you, for Hawaii families, for Hawaii small businesses and for 1 million wireless consumers across the state. Tell them that costly and complicated new regulations on wireless are bad for residents of Hawaii, and bad for the State of Hawaii. Tell them to focus on lessening your tax burden, and on ensuring that the freedom, security, mobility and value of wireless are benefits available for all residents of Hawaii.

Legislation to establish a 3-year moratorium on unfair, new state and local wireless taxes, fees and surcharges has been introduced in 2007 in the U.S. Senate and in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tell your Lawmakers to support one consistent national wireless policy and no new state and local taxes for 3 years!