Telecommunications and Consumer Rights Campaign
New Jersey residents want affordable telecommunication rates as well as strong consumer protections.
Since 1996, New Jersey Citizen Action has been working to make sure that the implementation of the federal Telecommunications Act produces lower bills and expanded choices.
At the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and in the State House, we advocate for fair rates and customer rights that will allow consumers to benefit from the changes in the industry.
Below you can read more about NJCA's Campaign for Fair Telco Rates.
STOP TELCO DEREG! Call Your State Senator NOW and Ask "What About Grandma?"
Everyone needs a phone.Yet telecommunications giants — like Verizon, Cablevision and Comcast — will hit pay dirt while Grandma could lose her phone service if proposed legislation is passed to completely deregulate phone and cable services in New Jersey. This anti-consumer bill will wipe out important consumer protections that defend against discrimination in rates, ensure billing errors are corrected, guarantee credits for outages, provide adequate service quality and ensure that everyone who wants a basic, no frills phone line can afford to have one.
CALL your State Senator NOW!
CLICK HERE to find your state senator's phone number — then say...
My name is [SAY YOUR NAME] and I'm concerned about how bill A3766/S2664 will hurt my family, senior citizens and others in my life. Deregulation will allow companies to drop telephone services, raise rates and eliminate consumer protections, forcing my loved ones to choose between food or a phone call. Stand up for my family and seniors, not CEOs. Please pull A3766 and S2664 from consideration.
You can still also CLICK HERE to email your Assembly members and State Senator TODAY and urge them to vote NO on A3766 and S2664!
Resources
Read the March 18, 2011 letter, from NJCA and over 20 more consumer advocacy organizations, to the NJ Senate: PROTECT CONSUMERS – VOTE NO ON S2664. New Jersey Policy Perspective and national nonpartisan policy organization Demos released a Report on March 14, 2011: How To Raise The Phone Bill Of The Average New Jersey Family: What S2664 Will Do To NJ Consumers. The report reveals S2664, "The Market Competition and Consumer Choice Act," will likely result in:
- Significant rate hikes for New Jersey families ranging from 50 percent to 63 percent of a current phone bill
- Rural communities at risk of being stranded without landline service
- Elimination of crucial consumer protections from both phone and cable companies
- Hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure funding in jeopardy, along with consumers left without an advocate in future Verizon landline sales through removal of BPU oversight.
In the News
- "Cutting The Cord" (NJBIZ – March 28, 2011)
- "Reason Rules, Phone Bill Pulled " (The Record / NorthJersey.com – March 23, 2011)
- "New Jersey Cable Deregulation Bill On Hold" (CBS New York – March 22, 2011 AUDIO NEWS SEGMENT)
- "N.J. Senate Stalls Action On Bill To Deregulate Telecommunications Industry" (Star-Ledger – March 22, 2011)
- "NJ Senate Postpones Cable Deregulation Vote" (Associated Press – March 21, 2011)
- "Telecommunications Bill Ignites Debate" (Courier-News – March 21, 2011)
- "N.J. Senate Will Not Vote On Bill Deregulating Telecommunications Industry" (Star-Ledger – March 21, 2011)
- "NJ Senate Holds Cable Deregulation Bill" (Associated Press – March 20, 2011)
- "NJ Telecommunications Deregulation Proposal, Backed By Verizon, Draws Fire" (Asbury Park Press – March 20, 2011)
- "Verizon Promises No Phone Hikes For 2 Years" (NorthJersey.com – March 19, 2011)
- "Verizon N.J. President Vows To Not Raise Basic Telephone Rates For 2 Years" (Star-Ledger – March 18, 2011)
- "Consumer Advocacy Groups Oppose Telecommunications & CATV Legislation" (NJN News – March 17, 2011)
- "Verizon: Never Stops Working You Over" (NJ.com – March 15, 2011)
- "Telecom Dereg Foes Warn Of Rate Hikes, Service Issues" (PolitickerNJ – March 14, 2011)
- "New Deregulation Bill Gets Thumbs Down By Consumer Groups" (New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio – March 10, 2011 AUDIO NEWS SEGMENT)
- "Phone, Cable Deregulation Opponents Launch Campaign" (Asbury Park Press – March 9, 2011)
This bill must be stopped! There is clear evidence this is an anti-consumer bill, call you State Senator NOW!
Don't Hang Up on New Jersey Campaign
Don't Hang Up on New Jersey is a coalition of consumer, labor and community organizations committed to protecting affordable, quality, reliable phone and internet services for New Jersey families.
Telecommunication services, including access to a phone and the internet, are a vital part of our daily life and economy. We depend on the telephone to call for help in an emergency and to stay connected with our family, our friends — literally the rest of world. In the event of a health emergency, family crisis or national or other disaster, lack of connection to the telephone network could have dire consequences for those without telephone service. Without access to basic, affordable telephone services thousands of New Jerseyans would be unable to reach loved ones or call for help when tragedy strikes. Particularly hard hit would be individuals and families struggling to make ends meet on low, moderate and fixed incomes.
The New Jersey legislature is preparing to pass one of the most sweeping, anti-consumer telecommunications and cable deregulation laws anywhere in the country — S2664. This bill, the so-called Market Competition and Choice Act, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney, was written for giant corporations and CEOs. If passed, it will have a devastating impact on our families and seniors, cost NJ good jobs, lead to increased prices and eliminate important consumer protections and oversight against poor services and shoddy business practices. We are calling on the legislature to stop this anti-consumer bill.
Join the Don't Hang Up on New Jersey Campaign to:
- Insure all NJ residents have access to affordable and quality basic telephone and cable services.
- Maintain strong oversight of telecommunications industry so consumers and taxpayers are protected.
- Stop radical deregulation schemes like S2664 that will harm consumers.
Click here to download the Endorsement Form.
For more information, contact Ann Vardeman at 732-246-4772 ext. 13, or ann@njcitizenaction.org.