Comments on: P.U.C. Should Hang Up On Landline Subsidy

By: boisecynic

boisecynic — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 18:58:34 +0000

Maybe if people spent as much time studying how to change cellular carriers for a better deal as they do worrying about the tiny universal service fee they’d come out way way ahead.

If you’re an average consumer still paying $50 or $60 a month for cellular, you’re getting gouged. Big Time Gouged. It’s easier than ever to shop around for cell service.

Currently Sprint is offering a 1 year free, no contract cell service, unlimited talk, text and data. You need to bring your own device and it needs to be compatible.

https://www.sprint.com/en/shop/offers/free-unlimited.html

About compatibility, If you can’t afford a brand new unlocked phone, there are good used deals. Beginning with iPhone 5, any iPhone from Verizon is factory unlocked out of the box forever. That means you can switch carriers at will keeping your same number. Switching and porting your number can be done in a matter of minutes online. Of course it’s a bit harder for a family of 12. All you need is a SIM card and they’re cheap or even free if you go to a “corporate” store. Those Verizon iPhones, beginning with the 5c are virtually universal. Meaning they’ll work on nearly any cellular carrier world wide. Similar “world phones” are available from Samsung and probably others. Many, possibly all, ATT and Tmobile iPhones can be unlocked and ported to any other GSM compatible carrier.

There are many many so called MVNOs available for monthly rates around $20/month. Freedom Pop has a $49/year plan. Virgin Mobile, a Sprint MVNO, is offering a $1/year plan for unlimited everything.

Shop around people, educate yourselves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

By: Silver for the price of Gold

Silver for the price of Gold — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:59:30 +0000

With digitization of everything telephone they have opportunities to cheat. As more customer calls pass through a cell tower they just simply electronically remove evenly spaced bits of the signal. This happens on modern landlines too, but just not as noticeably. So, Cell CEOs, there’s nothing wrong with my phone or my hearing. It’s you not me. The problem is you are only transmitting evenly spaced bits of my conversation. My analog brain knows it. In the good ol days on the old landlines the signal was pure and complete. Digital and fiber optic got rid of the hum and other fuzz but now use it to chop little bits from calls and therefore more $$$ per cable/tower.

By: chicago sam

chicago sam — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:09:54 +0000

How about the service charge of $5.00 on my Idaho Power bill or the 1.5% franchise fee which is used as a slush fund by the city. Gas company has similar charges. My usage is read and paid electronically but modern electronics have not lowered the fees.

By: Clancy Anderson

Clancy Anderson — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:09:56 +0000

Subsidies exist for one reason or another and getting rid of them can be difficult. Technology may help in this case, but Idaho still is pretty geographically diverse.

If this one is deemed worth keeping, make the big guys pay it. Just hide it in our bill by making us only pay for service instead of 5 line items that include service fee, taxes etc.

While we are getting rid of subsidies, how about the road subsidy too?

From pg26 of ACHD budget: “Property taxes remain the single largest General Fund revenue of the Highway District.” There is a nice graphic showing this too.
http://www.achdidaho.org/Departments/Administration/Docs/2017Budget/Final2017/Introduction_and_Summary.pdf

By: Winston Mitchell

Winston Mitchell — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 13:01:11 +0000

I live 1.3 miles from the State House. My only access to the internet is via landline. Wireless connection is very, very poor and there is no access to a cable connection. TV is via antenna and internet.

Although landline use for phone service my be dwindling, there are other uses…just sayin’…

By: Mesa man

Mesa man — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 06:08:56 +0000

There is little or no cell phone coverage in most of the areas that the small phone companies cover.

By: Don't call us we'll call you

Don't call us we'll call you — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 05:01:05 +0000

How interesting, but not really alarming. Subsidies have been around for a long time and to do away with the land line might not be an optimum decision.

People gave up their land lines for portability as early as 1990, or so.

Robo-calls, and on the spot communication killed the land line, and now the predators on satellite communication are the robo-callers, too.

Dial out charges are possibly the only future of any communication set up.

That would save the valuable land line for many people. What is so old fashioned about a device you plug in to the wall, and use to talk to people from your home, (NOT WHILE DRIVING YOUR CAR)?

The communication industry is well beyond the average earners ability to keep up with it. If we’re not subsidizing land lines, it is something else.

Communication systems, like in firefighting radios, have to go to the lowest denominator to reach all. Why not subsidize the lowest, instead of the highest?

Technology push economy.

By: Anti-Commie

Anti-Commie — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:49:50 +0000

OMG I can remember all of that from being away for military and grad school.

By: Larraine Clayton

Larraine Clayton — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:34:01 +0000

Very informative. Thank you.