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- MOBILIZE!
- =========
-
- 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 should do (NOW!):
-
- 1- Pass this information on. Download MOBILIZE.LZH (free download)
- which contains the text you are reading now. Find other BBS's
- that are not carrying this information. Upload the ASCII text
- into a public message on the BBS, and also upload the file itself
- so others can easily get a copy to pass along.
-
- 2- Print out three copies of the letter which follows (or write your
- own) and send a signed copy to each of the following:
-
- Chairman of the FCC
- 1919 M Street N.W.
- Washington, D.C. 20554
-
- Chairman, Senate Communication Subcommittee
- SH-227 Hart Building
- Washington, D.C. 20510
-
- Chairman, House Telecommunication Subcommittee
- B-331 Rayburn Building
- Washington, D.C. 20515
-
-
- Here's the suggested text of the letter to send:
-
- 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.
-
- Sincerely,
- [your name, address and signature]
-
-
- It is important that you act now. The bureaucrats already have it in
- their heads that modem users should subsidize the phone company and are
- now listening to public comment. Please stand up and make it clear that
- we will not stand for any government restriction on the free exchange of
- information.
-
- Thanks for your help.
-
- Jay Fox, Sysop
- S P A C E -- The Stanford Palo Alto Computer Exchange
- 415-964-9039
-