Great...my phone bill announces Alabama deregulated landline phones this year.

Said phone bill ( Frontier Communications, recently bought Verizon) tells me as of Aug. 1
they will no longer have to file tariffs with State, and will publish NEW rate and other information at that time.
Apparently the change was led by....AT&T, beginning in the 2009 legislative session, finally the bill passed.


From an original story when the battle begun in 2009 ( this is for background)

"Bowing to the will (not to mention campaign funding prowess) of AT&T, the Alabama Senate passed a bill that completely deregulates landline phone service in Alabama and strips the Public Service Commission of the ability to regulate quality and prices for service.

The PSC lobbied hard against the bill, which strips even more power from the almost-useless agency. Remember what we learned with the Alabama Broadband Initiative. The PSC doesn't even have the authority to demand that telecom companies turn over information about what areas they serve, what products they offer, and how much service costs! That also courtesy of the Alabama Legislature's cozy relationship with big business (and the campaign cash it provides).
Sadly, it was Democratic Senators who sold out the rural residents of Alabama."

Link to the blog Left In Alabama: ( which I apparently have to read more often)
http://www.leftinalabama.com/diary/3754/alabama-phone-deregulation-end-game-begins-in-house-will-legislators-sell-us-out-to-att

We haven't had a landline in years, not that cell reception is any better half the time.

Also I quite like Left in Alabama, as you may guess. I think I made a post about it and a couple others a while back in the AL section.

Yet, was it not years ago that the major carriers got to collect extra fees "to provide rural services"?

I switched last year on several DUers recommendations. Glad that I did.

thnx.

If you have broadband internet, it's the way to go. It's MUCH cheaper and comes with more bells and whistles. For example, for a little over $30.00 a month, you get free long distance anywhere in the country AND I can also call landlines in Great Britain for free which is convenient since my sister lives there.

All our long distance we use our cell phone for.
We have landline, and cell service, Mr. dixie likes "redundancy" he says.

Know all about it.

Been thinking of getting a Roku box for a while now...

Drop the landline and get a cellphone from a progressive company.

flat rate, decent service and no extras..we are not cell phone people, and like cheap phone service.. I also like seeing the phone number & name pop up on my tv screen (the phone is connected with my cable modem with them..

They suck. Monopolies are all about high prices and SHITTY service. I feel your pain. Thank AT&T, Time-Warner, Comcast, and Verizon for this crap. They own us.