TELETRUTH OPEN BOARD MEETING – Wed 12/1 #nyc #broadband #Internet #structsep

TeleTruthTeletruth Open Board Meeting: The Future of US Broadband, Internet, Telecommunications, Wireless, Cable Services and Competition.

**NOTE – VENUE HAS CHANGED**

TELETRUTH OPEN BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 1st, 2010, 7:15PM
Warren Weaver Hall  Rm 517
251 Mercer St NYC (& West  4th  St)
Info: bruce@teletruth.org

CAN’T MAKE THE MEETING or WANT MORE INFO, Click here:
http://www.teletruth.org/boardmeeting.htm or read on..

• Do you like being overcharged or have had problems with your phone,
wireless, cable, internet or broadband services?
• Do you think it’s OK to be overcharged thousands of dollars for a fiber
optic service you never got or that America is 15th in the world in
broadband?
• Do you think that there’s robust competition which is lowering the prices
and providing competitive services?
• Do you worry that a lack of competition has allowed ‘Net Neutrality’
issues, like blocking, degrading or giving preferential treatment to their
own services?
• Do you think it’s OK for the phone and cable companies to establish fake
“astroturf“ consumer groups, co-opt established non-profits, including
consumer, Hispanic, black and Asian groups, pay off ‘think-tanks’ to create
corporate-friendly research or fund politicians to lobby on the companies’
behalf – and all of these activities are funded by you, dear reader?

Do you care about these issues and want to help? Then read this.

Back in 1997 “Fair Telecom” was formed because a number of us felt that
America was on the wrong path for telecommunications, broadband, internet,
and wireless services. In 2002, we Teletruth formed – a unique, national
group dedicated exclusively to defending the rights of consumers as well as
business customers who rely on these critical, essential telecom services.

Since our formation, our board members, which include lawyers, analysts,
telecom auditors, small competitors, residential and business customers,
have helped to establish successful class action suits, getting millions in
refunds, filed complaints with the FCC, IRS and SEC over various harms to
customers and competitors. And, we were even on the FCC Consumer Advisory
Committee.

Now it’s time to continue this work – but we need your help.

Over the last decade we have seen unprecedented rate increases for most
services, not to mention documented, massive customer overcharging. There
has also been a failure to upgrade critical infrastructure – the Public
Switched Telephone Networks -the utilities – even though customers paid for
and continue to pay thousands of dollars per household to do these upgrades.
By 2010,America was supposed to be completely rewired with fiber optics
services, including schools, libraries, hospitals, even governmental
offices. Worse, the FCC, with the help of Verizon, AT&T and the cable
companies closed the networks to competitors. The state commissions and
legislatures now appear to be out of control and don’t care about protecting
your rights. Worse, the companies are now able to keep control over the
agenda, creating a web of thousands of funded non-profits, think tanks,
astroturf groups, taking control of state legislatures, and every other
politician through major campaign and PAC contributions – the money being
directly paid for by everyone reading this.

Now we need your help. Join “Teletruth’s Volunteers of America’s
Broadband, Internet, Cable, Phone and Wireless.”

The upcoming meeting is focused on expanding Teletruth’s current
activities. We will be discussing the issues we just outlined and our plans
on how to deal with this trend of harming the public – death by 1000
insults.

We are looking for a few good men and woman, regardless of your political
party. If you have expertise – social media, video, graphics, fundraising,
organizing, marketing, legal and regulatory, PR, or other skills, or are
just annoyed and want to help create change – join us. If nothing else,
go to the link, maybe donate some money so we can do what needs to be
done.

It’s time for some Tele-Truth. It’s time to clean up the mess that is
America’s broadband, internet, phone and cable services. Reopen the networks
that were closed – get broadband to everyone without the government raising
our taxes and the telcos overcharging us. Also we need to stop the
phone bill shenanigans. We care about America’s broadband and
telecommunications future – and we’re willing to take actions to do
something to help defend the public. That’s you.

To get more details about what happened over the last decade and about
Teletruth http://www.teletruth.org/boardmeeting.htm

Bruce Kushnick, Founding Member of Teletruth
Tom Allibone, Director of Telecom Audits,
Joe Plotkin, Bway.net
Jerry Michalski, founder of REX