TELETRUTH OPEN BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 1st, 2010, 7:15PM
Bway.net, suite 404
568, Broadway, New York City
Info: bruce@teletruth.org
Teletruth Open Board Meeting: The Future of US Broadband, Internet,
Telecommunications, Wireless and Cable Services and Competition.
CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING or WANT MORE INFO, Click
here:
http://www.teletruth.org/boardmeeting.htm
- Do you like being overcharged or have had problems with your phone, wireless, cable, internet or broadband services?
- Do you think it's OK to be overcharged thousands of dollars for a fiber optic service you never got or that America is 15th in the world in broadband?
- Do you think that there's robust competition which is lowering the prices and providing competitive services?
- Do you worry that a lack of competition has allowed 'Net Neutrality' issues, like blocking, degrading or giving preferential treatment to their own services?
- Do you think it's OK for the phone and cable companies to establish fake "Astroturf " consumer groups, co-opt established non-profits, including consumer, Hispanic, black and Asian groups, pay off 'think-tanks' to create acorporate-friendly research or fund politicians to lobby on the companies' behalf - and all of this is funded by you, dear reader?
Do you care about these issues and want to help? Then read this.
Back in 1997 "Fair Telecom" was formed
because a number of us felt that America was on the wrong path for telecommunications,
broadband, Internet, and wireless services. In 2002, we Teletruth formed
- a unique, national group dedicated exclusively to defending the rights
of consumers as well as business customers who rely on these critical,
essential telecom services.
Over the last 9 years, our board members, which includes lawyers, analysts, telecom auditors, small competitors, residential and business customers, have helped to establish successful class action suits, getting millions in refunds, filed complaints with the FCC, IRS and SEC over various harms to customers and competitors. And, we were even on the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee.
Now it's time to continue this work - but we need your help.
Over the last decade we have seen unprecedented
rate increases for most services, not to mention documented, massive customer
overcharging. There has also been a failure to upgrade critical infrastructure
- the Public
Switched Telephone Networks, even though customers paid for and continue
to pay thousands of dollars per household to do these upgrades. By 2010,America
was supposed to be completely rewired with fiber optics services, including
schools, libraries, hospitals, even governmental offices. Worse, the FCC,
with the help of Verizon, AT&T and the cable companies closed the
networks to competitors. The state commissions and legislatures now appear
to be out of control and don't care about protecting your rights. Worse,
the companies are now able to keep control over the agenda, creating a
web of thousands of funded non-profits, think tanks, astroturf groups,
taking control of state legislatures, and every other politician through
major campaign and PAC contributions - the money being directly paid for
by everyone reading this.
Now we need your help. Join "Teletruth's Volunteers of America's Broadband, Internet, Cable, Phone and Wireless."
The upcoming meeting is focused on expanding Teletruth's current activities. We will be discussing the issues we just outlined and our plans on how to deal with this trend to harming the public - death by 1000 insults.
We are looking for a few good men and woman, regardless of your political party. If you have expertise - social media, video, graphics, fundraising, organizing, marketing, legal and regulatory, PR, or other skills, or are just annoyed and want to help create change - join us. If nothing else, go to the link, maybe donate some money so we can do what needs to be done.
It's time for some Tele-Truth. It's time to clean
up the mess that is America's broadband, internet, phone and cable services.
Reopen the networks that were closed - get broadband to everyone without
the government raising
our taxes and the telcos overcharging us. Also we need to stop the phone-bill
shenanigans. We care about America's broadband and telecommunications
future - and we're willing to take actions to do something to help defend
the public. That's you.
To get more details about what happened over the last decade and about Teletruth http://www.teletruth.org/boardmeeting.htm
Bruce Kushnick, Founding Member of Teletruth
Tom Allibone, Director of Telecom Audits,
Joe Plotkin, Bway.net
Jerry Michalski, founder of REX