Florida Legislature: House, Senate committees advance bill that...

[Observer]

What the wrote:

<quoted text>
And when a hurricane comes through, and all the cell sites are knocked down, or the powerlines supplying them power are down, you know that your landline will still work? It maybe your only way of calling for help.

GIVE ME A BREAK! How many people who had NO PHONE after the hurricanes FAILED to get help? Hell, there will be police, national guard, homeland security people and the President himself crawling all over the place. If you can't figure out HOW to get help (phone or no phone), YOU'RE TOO STUPID to deserve help...

[EverWhat]

davo wrote:

<quoted text>There's a DSL service without tele service I heard.I could be wrong but I heard it last week.Anyone work for Bell south know?

Yep. It's called U-Verse. It's TV (running off the internet) & Internet. Faster internet service too. MUCH faster than DSL. Then you can get a digital phone line from a number of companies and pay like $26.10/month (tax included) unlimited calls like I do and never worry about those telephone rate increases!

[Eyes Wide Open]

Louis wrote:

Whatever makes people think that if a hurrican were to hit that there land lines will work. Wake up people when Wilma we had no cell and no land lines working.

Wrong.

I had cell service before, during and after the storm so I don't know who you had for service.

Cancel your land line!!!!!

[concerned one]

Somebodyhelpme wrote:

<quoted text>
Obama does not control Tallahassee. The republicans do.

Crist is a democrat in waiting!

[DAVID]

I guess our politicians will give in and screw us again

[republicons]

Juan Leche wrote:

Keep electing republicans. You all get what you deserve.

+REPUBLICONS ]

[RDN]

The government just doesn't care and until
people vote them out and stop saying the next
one is the same we will be in trouble.

[Joe]

Deregulation of utilities does NOT work. Texas did it with the electrical companies. What happened? Texas has the highest priced electricity rates in the country. As a former Floridian with family still living in south Florida, I'd urge my family to start using a free way to call me - smoke signals, or Skype. Get rid of AT&T phone. We have AT&T here in Houston, and I'll be dropping them soon.

[A1ACharles Fkn A Right]

Your vote does not count

[Hmmm]

Joe wrote:

Deregulation of utilities does NOT work. Texas did it with the electrical companies. What happened? Texas has the highest priced electricity rates in the country. As a former Floridian with family still living in south Florida, I'd urge my family to start using a free way to call me - smoke signals, or Skype. Get rid of AT&T phone. We have AT&T here in Houston, and I'll be dropping them soon.

My phone bill have been pretty consistent for the last few years. Around $11 . The taxes on top of it are not. Taxes bring my phone bill to $24. Government is making more money than ATT.

[Okydocky]

Welcome to Florida!
The KY Jelly State
Now is the time to buy it by the case.

[Really]

Who needs phones?
try 2 cans and an string
Ring ring ring anybody home?

[Cracker]

AT&T reported $12.9 Billion in profits last year. A good portion of that money was made in Florida. As a matter of fact, Florida is their most profitable state. The objective of the deregulation is based on Union busting. They simply do not want to pay the Union. The other is the huge windfall they will get by raping the pension fund, which for the most part, was Bellsouth’s largest asset. The second objective is to get everyone out of the regulated environment. Not only because the union has dibs on the regulated side of the house, but also because of service requirements. Currently they are fined for each PSC complaint filed, regardless of reason. Also, service must be connected in 3 days, and they must serve anyone. Deregulated, they can pick and choose their customers, skimming the cream of the crop. The term “Provider of Last Resort.” Will not apply to them, for that matter, it will apply to nobody. Once everything is transitioned, then the rate increases will start. Since cell phones and cable are already deregulated, they will not have to deal with the pesky PSC. Just so everyone is aware, Comcast was originally an AT&T entity. In Florida, the Company is still listed as ATT Comcast. Bellsouth Telecommunications is now known as AT&T Southeast, a division of AT&T Global Networks of Bedminster, New Jersey. But the corporation is operated by AT&T of Dallas, Texas. The Dallas Corporation is the one traded on the stock market. Since AT&T Global Networks is a Delaware corporation, their boards of directors are secret.

Now for the good part. First you must remember that the regulated side of the house is guaranteed a profit regardless by the PSC. Second, objective is to drain money from the regulated side to feed the deregulated side. To do this you set up corporations to handle things like data services. What data services does is contract with the local carrier to handle all data between central offices and the outside world. The data consists of all voice and internet data. While data service contracts back to the local carrier the maintenance of the system. Since both are owned by the mother corporation, all cost and profits are determined by the mother. The end result is that the local carrier maintains the system at a loss that is shown to the PSC to justify the rate hike. While data services funnels the profit back to mother. This occurs with DSL, U-Verse and Cellular. As well as all calls that pass from one office to another. Almost all work is performed by the regulated side of the house, because the deregulated side of the house has few employees in comparison. The question is, does the deregulated side of the house pay the same rate as everyone else, and who is checking, not the PSC. The second question is, did divestiture really occur, or was controlling interest in the baby bells still held by the mother corporation? The third question is how many players are real in the game, or are they just another arm of the mother?

[Cracker]

Hmmm wrote:

<quoted text>
My phone bill have been pretty consistent for the last few years. Around $11 . The taxes on top of it are not. Taxes bring my phone bill to $24. Government is making more money than ATT.

Sorry to inform you, but that is not true. That is only what the company want you to believe.

Federal Universal Service Fee
Federal Subscriber Line Charge

These two surcharges are place on your line by AT&T. They are not Government Taxes. The PSC does not regulate them either.

[white rat]

Dolan wrote:

You may think you don't need a land line, but when a Hurricane like Wilma hits again and the cell towers blow down your land line will still be working as long as the battery back-up at your line head is charged. Thats the only reason I keep a land line.

That's what I thought, too, but I was wrong and so are you. The cell towers did go down and cell phone service was sketchy. My landline worked pretty good... for A DAY. AT&t's substation backup power ran out too. yay.

[Natalie]

I wholeheartedly support maintaining a landline for all residential homes. Unfortunately, it is a losing battle in Florida and the legislature is not on the side of consumers. I see it as a safety issue. Apparently, the legislature and governor view it as an issue to be decided by the telecommunications industry. For another take on this, visit http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/thinkoutlou... and http://www.telecompetitor.com/att-stresses-ne...