Support One National Wireless Policy
Taxes and Fees -- FOR 3 YEARS!!
Hundreds of laws and regulations in states and cities across the country threaten to delay wireless innovation, reduce consumer choice and increase consumer costs. States and cities are also raising the cost of your wireless service by imposing unfair and excessive taxes and fees.
What would you tell state policymakers who propose regulations on your wireless service?
With the 110th Congress now in session in Washington, D.C., legislators must renew their commitment to pass a real communications reform bill, including one consistent national policy for wireless services. Right now, each of the 50 states can govern wireless 50 different ways. Since wireless doesn’t recognize state borders, the hundreds of separate state taxes, laws and regulations in states and cities across the country are creating a confusing tangle for consumers. The result is less innovation, fewer choices among services, plans and providers, and ultimately higher prices for wireless consumers.
Along with the constant threat of unnecessary and inconsistent state-by-state rules, consumers often face a myriad of unfair new state and local taxes and fees on their wireless services. In fact, some states impose wireless taxes at double the rate of other goods and services. The U.S. Congress pushed a powerful communications reform package last Congress, but ultimately fell short of making new law. The new Congress can continue that forward progress with a new telecom reform bill that will ensure one consistent national wireless policy, and a 3-year freeze on unfair new state and local wireless taxes.
Flashback to 1993
Wireless simplicity, productivity, and mobility wasn’t always so prevalent. Rewind 13 years back to 1993, when consumers needed a dozen different devices, not to mention pounds of gear and miles of wire, to do everything they can do now on a small handheld wireless device. If consumers were lucky enough to have wireless services back then, they had few choices among service providers, plans, devices and features. Mobile video or Internet access was unheard of and pay phones were still the most common form of “mobile” communication.
Yet, policymakers in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) saw the potential for wireless and gave it the freedom to thrive. Instead of imposing a mountain of restrictions and regulations on wireless, legislators and regulators empowered consumers to pick the real “winners” and push wireless to innovate. As a result, competition drove down prices, hastened innovation, expanded choice among products and services, and encouraged the swift expansion of nationwide wireless networks. By 2006, the number of wireless consumers had grown from 16 million to more than 235 million. Every day, wireless continues to empower consumers to communicate nearly anywhere and anytime, to be more productive at work, to connect with family and friends, to get help in emergencies, and to have some good fun.
State of the Separated Union
Unfortunately, the freedom, choice and value wireless consumers have come to enjoy today are threatened. Hundreds of separate taxes, laws and regulations are being proposed in states and cities across the country, creating a confusing tangle of costly wireless overregulation and taxation. If wireless is ruled by 50 different sets of state laws and regulations, not to mention additional local taxes, laws and regulations, consumers will suffer, with less innovation, fewer choices among services and providers, and ultimately higher prices.
Policymakers in Congress and at the FCC can promote a better wireless future. With one fair, consistent national policy for national wireless, policymakers in Washington can help relieve wireless consumers of the cost and confusion of scores of state and local taxes, laws and regulations. Wireless consumers deserve a future of mobility, of freedom, and of possibility, not one of uncertainty and spiraling fees and restrictions.
How can you help?
At MyWireless.org®, it's quick and easy! Please take a moment right now to urge your Legislators and FCC Commissioners to make meaningful telecommunications reform legislation a real priority in 2007. That will ensure more than 250 million American wireless consumers can finally benefit from one consistent national policy for wireless services. Let your federal officials know that 50 different sets of state rules threaten the mobility, value and choice consumers enjoy from wireless services.
Recent Poll Finds Consumers Overwhelmingly Satisfied with Their Wireless Service.