Low and Fixed Income Consumers Can Save With Lifeline Service - Telephone consumers on a tight budget are especially conscious of making every dollar count. For many consumers with a low or fixed income, the federal Lifeline program can help provide for affordable residential phone service. Lifeline support enables low-income consumers to save between $5.25 and $10 per month on their local telephone bills. Consumers may also qualify for an additional $3.50 per month in matching support depending on their state of residence. In general, consumers who participate in one or more of the following federal programs will qualify for Lifeline service: Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8, Food Stamps, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or any official Home Energy Assistance Program, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI). You can apply for Lifeline (and/or its sister program,Link Up, that helps with the cost of starting service) by contacting your local telephone service provider. To find out if you qualify for Lifeline and to find state-specific information on the program, click here(iii) or visit http://www.lifelinesupport.org.
WIRELESS WATCH
Driving While Talking on Your Wireless Phone Could be Costly - Many states and localities have enacted legislation regulating the use of hand-held wireless phones while driving. Penalties can be steep, depending on where you live. For example, in New York talking on a hand-held wireless phone while driving can result in a maximum fine of $100. In New Jersey, drivers under the age of 21 who have only a learner's permit can face a $100 fine or 90-day permit suspension if found guilty of talking on a wireless phone while driving. Oregon drivers can be hit with a $150 fine for any "distracted driving," including the use of a wireless phone. Massachusetts drivers can face a penalty of $35-$150 if the use of a wireless phone interferes with the operation of a vehicle. Additionally, over two dozen local communities in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Utah have passed ordinances outlawing the use of hand-held wireless phones while driving.(iv) While enforcement of these laws varies from state to state, it may be a good idea to invest in a hands-free unit for the well-being of those around you and for your wallet.
SCAM WATCH
Help! I'm On The Do Not Call Registry and Telemarketers Still Call! - On October 1, 2003, the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry went into effect. When consumers signed up on the registry, it was expected that they would begin receiving fewer telemarketing calls within 3 months. Keep in mind that calls from political groups, charities, telephone surveyors, companies with which you've entered into a business relationship in the last 18 months, and companies given written permission to call you are still allowed to call under the new rules. If you've signed up on the Registry and receive a telemarketing call from a group not listed above, make sure to note the date and time of the call and the phone number or company that called you. You can then use that information to complain to the FTC by clicking here(v) or visiting http://www.donotcall.gov. Also, be aware that scam artists are calling and offering to add your name to the Registry (often for a fee) in order to get your personal information. The FTC does not allow private companies or other such third partiers to register consumers for the Registry! If you get a call like this, be sure to get their number and report them to the FTC!
WASHINGTON WATCH
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Delays Enforcement of Number Portability Rules for Some Carriers - Consumers in certain areas of the country trying to port their wireline telephone numbers to a wireless carrier may be in for a bit of a shock after a ruling by the FCC on Friday, January 19. Rural wireline carriers serving less than 2% of the customers in one of the 100 markets affected by the November 24, 2003 deadline for wireless local number portability (WLNP) have been given a waiver from enacting consumer wireline-to-wireless porting requests until the WLNP rules go into effect for the rest of the country on May 24, 2004. Consumers considering porting their wireline telephone number to a wireless phone should check with their local service provider to see if this ruling affects them. For more information click here.(vi)
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/resources/state.shtml
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Endnotes
