Florida House committee oks bill to further deregulate telecoms, allow steeper rates.

[madfloridian]

As if it were not already bad enough here, looks like it might get worse. Our landline bill, with no long distance calls on it....has gone from $43 a month to $62 a month is less than two years. They even charge us a long distance plan for $6.99 against our wishes plus an additional $3.99 if we don't use the long distance that month.

It is outrageous. We hate to give up our landline, but getting ready to switch to our cable for phone service just because Verizon is pricing us out of staying with them.

So now the state just might deregulate the telecoms further, saying it will spark competition. So far it hasn't. Even the advent of FIOS doesn't seem to be helping.

AT&T, Verizon, and others score first deregulation victory

Telecommunications giants like AT&T and Verizon scored a victory Thursday, when the House Energy & Utilities Policy committee passed a heavily lobbied bill to remove most state regulation and allow steeper rate hikes for all but the most basic landline phone services. Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St.Petersburg, voted no but said he hopes to see his concerns addressed as the bill progresses.

It was the first stop this session for the so-dubbed “Consumer Choice and Protection Act,” which – among other things – raises the maximum annual hike increase from 6 percent to 20 percent for most business and residential customers with landline phones.

The legislation, sponsored by Wesley Chapel Republican Will Weatherford in the House and Indiatlantic Republican Mike Haridopolos in the Senate, also removes the regulatory power of the state’s Public Service Commission for all but basic, landline-only phone services. And poor Floridians, whose basic landline service is subsidized through a program called Lifeline, no longer would be shielded from basic local service rate increases.

But supporters insist such rate hikes won’t happen, because the bill will “open up competition.”

“Prices in the telecommunications industry have always gone down when you bring in competition,” said Weatherford.

Dear Republican Will Weatherford, in what universe do you live? You guys keep deregulating, and they keep jacking up prices.

[Mojorabbit]

1. Thanks

I will make some calls about this tomorrow,.

[madfloridian]

2. It's unbelievable how FL Republicans think.

It's almost mindless stuff.

[LeftyMom]

3. Wow, you pay more for a landline than I do for my cell phone.

And I have unlimited minutes and domestic long distance.

[madfloridian]

4. Our cellphone is for long distance, and far cheaper.

Not sure what we will do yet. Probably go cable, but keep cellphone. Confusing.

[trumad]

5. It baffles me why folks still use landlines---

IP telephony is certainly the way to go---oh sure, you have to have the internet to run it and pay for that---but I need my internet.

I pay 24 bucks a month for Vonage and that includes long distance.

[madfloridian]

7. During the hurricanes...

we were without cable for a week...thus we would have been without cable phone. Cell phone did not work well because towers were damaged.

We had no power for days, but we did have our landline.

[gratuitous]

6. What universe does Weatherford live in?

The one where he gets gobs of campaign contributions for rigging the process in favor of the telecommunications industry. Too bad if you're not in that line for the gravy train.

Does anyone anywhere keep track of all these promises of lower rates from greater competition?