Universal wireless
Stephen Stone
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
FOR TOO LONG, rural communities have been subject to inferior wireless service. What many people don’t realize is that dropped calls are not just an annoyance; they also have a negative impact on personal safety and our community’s economic well-being.
In rural areas, people need to be able to rely on wireless service to connect with police and emergency services in the event of an accident. Law enforcement officers increasingly rely on cell phones to communicate with each other to keep information confidential and keep their officers safe. And in terms of economic development, cell phone coverage is absolutely paramount to bringing new business to the area.
The Federal Communications Commission has a program called the Universal Service Fund to help improve telephone and wireless service. In rural areas around the country, this fund helps companies erect cell phone towers to improve service for everyone.
The FCC is talking about capping this fund, which would mean that communities like ours would miss out on critical telecommunications technology that the rest of the state enjoys. This is a bad idea for our rural areas and the entire state.
The Universal Service Fund is important to our state and needs to be protected.