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You are here: Home / Archives for Telecommunications

Philosophy drives telecommunications bill

March 24, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

All those new ways to get telephone service, the Internet and even television would undergo less regulation under a bill moving through the legislature. Supporters insist less regulation means more competition and better service to consumers. Not everyone buys that argument.

Rep. Jake Zimmerman (D-Olivette) was on the losing end of a 130-to-22 House vote on HCS HB 1779 that loosens telecommunications regulation, such as freeing companies from price caps if 55% of its exchanges in Missouri compete with other companies.

"The idea that if you’re competitive in half of the state, therefore we’re going to say you are competitive everywhere and are going to let you raise prices everywhere," says Zimmerman, "I got to tell you, I think that’s a little screwy."

Not so says sponsor Ed Emery (R-Lamar). Emery says differing philosophies are at play here.

"The trade off that you are looking at," says Emery, "Is whether I trust the marketplace more, competition, or whether I trust regulators more"

Emery says his bill will allow the marketplace to activate its power on behalf of the consumer.  Zimmerman isn’t convinced that competition will work its magic.  He worries that telephone prices will rise under the bill, especially in rural parts of the state. Emery says that if they do it will be because of the marketplace. Emery says the real benefit of the bill, though, will be in a wide range of choices and services available to consumers throughout Missouri, a range that he insists the current state regulatory structure suppresses. 

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:30 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Public Service Commission, Telecommunications

Internet Harassment Seen as Tough to Tackle

January 15, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

Missouri hopes to crack down on Internet harassment, but drafting legislation to fit the problem might be much tougher than first thought.

A special task force began reviewing the topic in light of the Megan Meier tragedy. Megan was the St. Louis County teen-ager who committed suicide shortly after being a victim of a cruel Internet chat room hoax.

University of Missouri law professor Doug Abrams is a member of the task force and has been guiding members through tricky legal waters. He says any legislation drafted this session must be able to stand up to a First Amendment challenge. Abrams suggests lawmakers concentrate on regulating conduct rather than speech. He says a good place to start is using the current harassment statute as a guide, because it has been upheld in court.

Even as the task force makes its recommendation to the legislature, members acknowledge that lawmakers might have trouble fashioning anything to fit the Megan Meier case. In it, Megan became a victim of a hoax perpetuated by adults apparently intent on getting back at Megan for the perceived snub of their daughter.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: Child Abuse, Children & Families, Internet, Telecommunications

Sprint-Nextel Agrees to $52 Million Settlement

December 21, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

Sprint-Nextel will pay $52 million to Missouri municipalities in back taxes on cell phone service. AT&T and Verizon agreed to similar settlements earlier. Sprint says it still thinks the effort by communities to tax cell phones violates the Missouri Constitution but it’s in the best interests of everybody to settle the disputes. The three settlements total more than $150 million.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Kansas City, Telecommunications

Calling 9-1-1 by Cell is Iffy in Missouri

August 6, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

9-1-1 is the universal emergency telephone number, but concerns are being raised at the State Capitol that, in more and more instances, if you dial 9-1-1 you might not get the emergency help you need.

State Public Safety Director Mark James puts it bluntly to a special House committee evaluate the state 9-1-1 system, "The reality is there is greater than two-thirds chance that emergency responders cannot find you if you are calling 9-1-1 by cell phone in Missouri."

Rep. Mark Bruns (R-Jefferson City) chairs the Interim Committee to Evaluate the 9-1-1 System. Bruns sees two big problems. There are 3.2 million landline telephones in Missouri and 3.7 million cell phones and while Missouri charges a 75-cent fee on landlines to fund the 9-1-1 system, it is the only state that doesn’t charge a similar fee on cell phones. The revenue generated by the fee can no longer keep up with the costs of running the system. The other problem, according to Bruns, is the disparity of 9-1-1 access in metropolitan and rural areas of the state. He notes that 21 rural counties don’t have 9-1-1 systems.

Testimony before the committee disclosed that most 9-1-1 systems are outdated and more revenue needs to be generated to make upgrades and expand it to cover the entire state.  A big problem faces the committee:  Missouri voters rejected 9-1-1 cell phone fees twice; in 1998 and 2002.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: Department of Public Safety, Telecommunications

A Real Education Is Being Offered Through A Virtual School Setting

May 14, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

Missouri has created a virtual school to give certain students are actual education. This classroom will come to the student, via a personal computer. The virtual school concept uses the Web to deliver instruction online.

Two vendors have been chosen to deliver instruction. Connections Academy of Baltimore, Maryland will provide elementary education online and Northwest Missouri State of Maryville will provide high school instruction. Middle school instruction isn’t offered at this time.

Students who might participate in the program include students homebound due to injury or illness, students who lack credits for graduation, students who need remedial help, students wishing to take advanced courses not offered by their school district and home-schooled students. School district also could take advantage of the program to offer Advanced Placement or other upper-level classes they would like to offer, but cannot afford to.

Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon) says, "This is not about plopping kids in front of a monitor." Goodman says it’s about children who face unique circumstances and adults who care about them enough to put in the initiative to work with the curriculum. He says the virtual school can help any child reach their maximum potential.

Rep. Brian Baker (R-Belton) says students in failing districts will be allowed to enroll. And he says that will not count about the district. Districts will pay the virtual school for the student’s enrollment, but will still get credit for the student and the excess money left.

Enrollment in the virtual school program ends May 29th. State education officials say the program can handle up to 4,000 students. For more information contact the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education .

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Education, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Children & Families, DESE, Technology, Telecommunications

Debate begins on Cable/Telco bill

February 6, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

State senators have started working their way through a proposal that would let telephone companies compete with cable television companies. Sponsor John Griesheimer of Washington says a delicate compromise has been reached between the new technology represented by A-T-and-T, and the existing local monopolies held by cable interests. He says the most troubling issue is the "opt-out" provision that lets cable operators opt out of their local franchise when the phone company starts providing competition in the town and get a statewide franchise under the Public Service Commission.

The bill lets telephone companies get a statewide franchise under the Public Service Commission instead of negotiating with every community. That’s a concern to Independence Senator Victory Callahan who says the legislature "better make sure" that state franchises have all of the duties and obligations the local cable franchises have. One rural senator who has a big district says he has not figured out yet how the proposal will ever help his constituents if the compromise breaks down. More debate comes today.
1teltvva.mp3 (423k)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Public Service Commission, Telecommunications

Cable TV Competition Bill Coming Up

February 4, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

The end of cable television service as we have known it will be debated by the state senate this week. Telephone companies want to provide video and broadband services in competition with existing cable-television services. The collision between the two technologies has kept bills from being passed in previous sessions. But Senator John Griesheimer of Washington is going to try again this year. He says telephone companies want to use phone lines to provide cable service. But cable providers have resisted that new technology. Griesheimer hopes this year he has found some middle ground between one entity that does not want to give up any of its business to a competitor. He describes the negotiations as “very difficult.” His bill puts regulation of telephone company-based video service providers under the Public Service commission but lets communities levy gross receipts taxes on them. Phone companies would not have to serve entire communities, as local ordinances require cable companies to do–and that’s been a sticking point. Another sticking point is that a cable company could break its contract with a city as soon as a phone company comes in with competing service. The cable company at that point also would be regulated by the PSC.. Griesheimer says the legislature is not in the business of protecting one technology from another. He says consumers should benefit with lower bills because of the competition that would be allowed—if a compromise can be struck.A summary of the bill can be found on the Missouri State Senate website:http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=4857
videova.mp3 (432k)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Public Service Commission, Telecommunications

Coalition Pushes Value of METS

September 13, 2006 By admin Leave a Comment

A coalition of educators and business executives recommend Missouri push math, engineering, technology and science more in the classroom and work to get schoolchildren more excited about careers in those fields. It’s called the METS Coalition. METS is an acronym for math, engineering, technology and science. Governor Blunt formed the coalition this spring. Chairwoman Debra Hollingsworth with AT&T explains the group recommends improving the math and science offered in the classroom, emphasizing engineering more and getting greater technology to schoolchildren. The coalition says children must be motivated to study the fields through visits to workplaces that use math, engineering, technology and science to give schoolchildren a taste of what vocations are available and to develop an excitement about them. Hollingsworth says parents must emphasize their importance and treat them with at least as much interest as they do the sports their children are involved in. Hollingsworth says it needs to become a greater priority of the state as well, with incentives to attract higher quality instructors and public awareness of the importance of the fields. Governor Blunt has told the group its recommendations will likely find a place in his State-of-the-State speech next year, which outlines his legislative priorities.

Related web sites:
M.E.T.S.

Filed Under: Education, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Department of Higher Education, DESE, Matt Blunt, Technology, Telecommunications

Nixon Moves Against California On-Line Dating Firm

August 2, 2006 By admin Leave a Comment

Attorney General Jay Nixon has obtained a temporary restraining order against an on-line dating service that he accuses of calling Missourians on the state No Call list. Nixon says more than 140 Missourians on the No Call list reported receiving telemarketing calls from Luvoo.com, based in Tujunga, California. Nixon has sued the company; its owner, Lourdes Van Hoek; and a third company, Telephone Management Corporation, contending they violated Missouri law in soliciting memberships to the dating service. He has asked the court to block them from calling Missourians on the No Call list. He also asks the courts fine the company up to $5,000 per violation.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Attorney General, Jay Nixon, Telecommunications, Telemarketing

Justice Department Sues PSC Members

July 26, 2006 By admin Leave a Comment

The United States Justice Department has sued two members of Missouri’s Public Service Commission to deny them access to telephone records that phone companies might have given to the National Security Agency. Commissioners Robert Clayton and Steve Gaw have subpoenaed AT&T to find out whether the company had supplied information and calling records of Missouri customers to the federal agency. Clayton and Gaw claim that would be a violation of privacy rules in this state. In its filing, the Justice Department says disclosing details of the program would do serious harm to national security efforts. Federal officials have claimed the program that monitors some phone calls in and out of the country is necessary to thwart terrorist efforts.

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: Public Service Commission, Telecommunications, Terrorism, Utilities

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