On 9/28/09 03:06 , Brenda Ann wrote:
"D. Peter wrote in message
...
On 9/28/09 01:25 , Brenda Ann wrote:
wrote in message
.. .
wrote:
I was talking to my old buddy on the phone this afternoon.One of his
sons works for Bell South (at&t) here in Jackson, he is a Techinal
Engineer at the phone company.
He said in a year, there will be no more land lines phone lines in
America.When I asked him, Why? He said becouse so many people nowadays
have cell phones and land line maintnance has gotten too expensive for
the phone companies.
What a Ca - tas - toe - strope! ~ Jimmy Durante.
cuhulin
I have an old school phone line. I have measured service for
$6.50/month. You want a copper pair if you can get one, especially if
you're getting old and live alone. 9-1-1 isn't reliable any other way.
They still have to maintain landlines for their ADSL and TV over phone
line
services. Don't believe for a minute that they will toss out their cash
cow(s).
They're moving to bundled voice-internet-TV. When ATT installs U-Verse,
around here, the first thing they do is cut the copper. In many cases, if
possible, they remove the drop line from the pole, so the pair can't be
reactivated. Verizon cuts the copper when they install FiOS. Comcast cuts
ATT's copper when they install their bundle.
The intent is eventually to have fibre installed to the house.
ATT sent representatives into my neighborhood going door to door to
inform customers that they were removing copper pair, and suggesting that
all customers move to U-Verse. I told them to pound sand. I was informed
that my copper would remain intact for the time being. But that it was to
be phased out in the coming year and I would have no choice but to install
a ComCast or U-Verse bundle.
When I informed them I had a T-1 and was not interested in either cable
or their data service, I was told in no uncertain terms that I don't get a
choice in the matter when the time comes. And that landline service would
ONLY be available with a cable-internet bundle.
Sounds like time to contact your state's Public Utilities commission or
equivalent. Phone service is a publicly regulated utility, and I'm pretty
sure all state and federal law says they can't force you to take other
services you do not want or need.
My thinking, exactly. However, Verizon has been doing this for
two years, now, without action. ATT has been doing it for a year in
this area, without action. Comcast has been doing it since they
started offering phone service. And without action.
Either they're exploiting a loophole in the public utilities
laws, or the PUC simply can't be motivated to take action.
I've written letters. Made phone calls. I'm not taking this
without a scrap.
And I've got the same advantage that Chris Condon had in the 70's
when SWB attempted to jack his mother's rates by 400% when the
company unilaterally did away with party lines in southeast
Missouri: I'm Media.