I recently learned that the FCC approved last August to deregulate telecom companies, allowing them to substitute their copper wire landline phone service with internet-based phone service. The impact of this ruling affects Greenfield’s most vulnerable populations, and if the federal government is unwilling to safeguard their interests, then the state government must intervene.
Try explaining this to my parents or the 980,000 seniors in Massachusetts who depend on landline service. My parents have trouble using their cell phone, and their home internet connection is frequently unreliable. I can’t imagine tying their primary means of communication to something as undependable as their internet connection, not to mention the fact that they lose internet access entirely during a power outage. The FCC’s choice prioritizes telecom company profits over the needs of rural communities, seniors, and individuals residing in areas with poor internet access. It is the duty of the Massachusetts State Legislature to step in and represent the interests of those who are most likely to be left behind during this thoughtless march towards “progress.”
Daniel Lewis
Greenfield