Archive | Blog RSS feed for this section

In 2008, the City of Chicago convinced the General Assembly to allow the City Council and the Mayor to double the 911 fee imposed on wireless consumers from $1.25 per month to $2.50 per month. Six years later, the Olympic bid was unsuccessful but city wireless consumers continue to pay $2.50 a month, the second highest city 911 fee in the country. Now, a proposal that may be considered by the Illinois General Assembly would allow the City Council to raise the fee again – to $3.50 per month on wireless consumers.

There was good news out of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today as the agency announced next steps for holding an auction for mobile broadband providers to bid on new spectrum licenses.

Good news for Maine consumers out of the legislature yesterday. Both the House and the Senate made an important vote that will ultimately stop a proposed $67 million annual phone tax increase on Maine consumers.

Mainers sent thousands of e-mails to their elected officials opposing this unfair tax hike. The Maine Legislature listened and passed LD 1479, with strong bipartisan support, which would safeguard against any immediate phone tax increases. Last week, unfortunately, the Governor vetoed the bill.