>>Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 19:19:53 -0500 (EST)
>>From: Mike Moore <mikem who-is-at BGNet.bgsu.edu>
>>Hello:
>> This is to inform you of a very important matter currently
under
>>review by the FCC. Your local telephone company has filed a proposal
with the
>>FCC to impose per minute charges for your internet service. They
contend that
>>your usage has or will hinder the operation of the telephone network.
>> E-Mail, in my opinion, will diminish if users were required to
pay
>>additional per minute charges. The FCC has created an email box for
your
>>comments, responses must be received by February 13, 1998. Send your
comments
>>to "isp who-is-at fcc.gov" and tell them what you think.
>> Every phone company is in on this one, and they are trying to
sneak it
>>in just under the wire for litigation. Let everyone you know hear
about this
>>one. Get this e-mail address to everyone you can think of.
>>
>> FCC E-Mail address isp who-is-at fcc.gov
>>
>> This is really important to e-mail users. Especially those who
do not
>>have access through their work. If we have to pay for e-mail , the
cost is
>>going to skyrocket. It's about the only thing now that is
cost-effective.
>>Please make your opinions known to the FCC.
>> Tell your friends, tell everyone who uses E-Mail.
>>
In case it helps, here's what I wrote:
To the FCC:
I understand that phone companies are requesting government action that
would allow them to impose per-minute fees on users of internet
service. I am strongly against this, as it unfairly penalizes Americans
who use one particular medium of communication as against other media.
There is no fair reason for the use of written communication to carry a
financial penalty over the use of spoken communication. Line use is
already paid for by consumers, and this attempt to extract more money
from those who use phone lines for dual purposes is unjustifiable.
I urge you to reject these requests.
Randy Bomer, Ph.D.
Professor of Education
Queens College, CUNY
Flushing, NY 11375
W: (718) 997-5153
H: (718) 263-7537