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73 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
73 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
MOBILIZE!
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=========</p>
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<p>Two years ago the FCC tried and (with your help and letters of protest)
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failed to institute regulations that would impose additional costs on
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modem users for data communications.</p>
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<p>Now, they are at it again. A new regulation that the FCC is quietly
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working on will directly affect you as the user of a computer and modem.
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The FCC proposes that users of modems should pay extra charges for use
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of the public telephone network which carry their data. In addition,
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computer network services such as CompuServ, Tymnet, & Telenet would also
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be charged as much as $6.00 per hour per user for use of the public
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telephone network. These charges would very likely be passed on to
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the subscribers. The money is to be collected and given to the
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telephone company in an effort to raise funds lost to deregulation.</p>
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<p>Jim Eason of KGO newstalk radio (San Francisco, Ca) commented on the
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proposal during his afternoon radio program during which, he said
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he learned of the new regulation in an article in the New York Times.
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Jim took the time to gather the addresses which are given below. </p>
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<p>Here's what you should do (NOW!):</p>
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<p> 1- Pass this information on. Download MOBILIZE.ZIP which contains the
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text you are reading now. Find other BBS's that are not carrying
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this information. Upload the ASCII text into a public message on the
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BBS, and also upload the file itself so others can easily get a copy
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to pass along.</p>
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<p> 2- Print out three copies of the letter which follows (or write your
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own) and send a signed copy to each of the following:</p>
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<p> Chairman of the FCC
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1919 M Street N.W.
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Washington, D.C. 20554</p>
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<p> Chairman, Senate Communication Subcommittee
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SH-227 Hart Building
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Washington, D.C. 20510</p>
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<p> Chairman, House Telecommunication Subcommittee
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B-331 Rayburn Building
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Washington, D.C. 20515</p>
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<p>Here's the suggested text of the letter to send:</p>
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<p> Dear Sir,</p>
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<p> Please allow me to express my displeasure with the FCC proposal
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which would authorize a surcharge for the use of modems on the
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telephone network. This regulation is nothing less than an attempt to
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restrict the free exchange of information among the growing number of
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computer users. Calls placed using modems require no special telephone
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company equipment, and users of modems pay the phone company for use
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of the network in the form of a monthly bill. In short, a modem call
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is the same as a voice call and therefore should not be subject to any
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additional regulation.</p>
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<p> Sincerely,
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[your name, address and signature]</p>
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<p>It is important that you act now. The bureaucrats already have it in
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their heads that modem users should subsidize the phone company and are
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now listening to public comment. Please stand up and make it clear that
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we will not stand for any government restriction on the free exchange of
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information.
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Thanks for your help.
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Note: Most of the text for this Bulletin was copied from a message posted
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on the Fidonet Telecomm Echo network.
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