Comments on: Local Louisiana parishes might impose prepaid 911 fee http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/consumer-issues/local-louisiana-parishes-might-impose-prepaid-911-fee-35667/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:13:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Downtown Dave http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/consumer-issues/local-louisiana-parishes-might-impose-prepaid-911-fee-35667/comment-page-1/#comment-82545 Downtown Dave Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:30:00 +0000 http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/?p=1831#comment-82545 March 24,2009: I just had a Customer Service Rep(Rebecca) explain that ALL cellphone companies now charge a $1 Monthly 911 Admin Fee on their Prepaid(i.e.GoPhone) Cell Plans! NOT Verizon or VirginMobile as I Have BOTH! Why wasn't/isn't this in the Terms of Service agreement? Just talked to ATT Rep in PERSON(Pennsylvania) and they said: "NEVER Ever Heard of Such Fee"! P.S. NEVER Ever BELIEVE ATT Customer Service Reps On The PHONE. P.P.S. One Month-NO Charge! Explanation-Not Much Phone Usage! HUH!!! Makes NO Sense To ME or ATT Person(LIVE In PA)... WHAT GIVES with ATT Wireless GoPhone PrePaid? March 24,2009: I just had a Customer Service Rep(Rebecca) explain that ALL cellphone companies now charge a $1 Monthly 911 Admin Fee on their Prepaid(i.e.GoPhone) Cell Plans! NOT Verizon or VirginMobile as I Have BOTH! Why wasn’t/isn’t this in the Terms of Service agreement? Just talked to ATT Rep in PERSON(Pennsylvania) and they said: “NEVER Ever Heard of Such Fee”! P.S. NEVER Ever BELIEVE ATT Customer Service Reps On The PHONE.
P.P.S. One Month-NO Charge! Explanation-Not Much Phone Usage! HUH!!! Makes NO Sense To ME or ATT Person(LIVE In PA)… WHAT GIVES with ATT Wireless GoPhone PrePaid?

]]> By: Kevin B http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/consumer-issues/local-louisiana-parishes-might-impose-prepaid-911-fee-35667/comment-page-1/#comment-80786 Kevin B Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:04:32 +0000 http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/?p=1831#comment-80786 The carriers have been involved and are fighting it tooth and nail. Each provider has dozens of lobbyists working on getting exemptions from E9-1-1 surcharges in every state. Their claim is that they are performing a "public service" by making cell phones affordable for the poor and elderly. Meanwhile, pre-paids account for a large percentage of calls to 9-1-1 which means others are left footing the bill. People with pre-paids are actually 80% more likely to call 9-1-1 than people with cellular contracts, landlines, or VoIP phones. And the overall amount going towards funding 9-1-1 is dwindling as a lot of people are getting rid of landlines completely. From 2007 to 2008, the percentage of wireless-only households went from 7.7% to 15.8% - a 105% increase. That growth is expected to continue exponentially. Pre-paids are the largest growing segment of cellular users. In some states cell phones and VoIP phones are also not tacked with a 9-1-1 surcharge. This means less money is going towards maintain an aging 9-1-1 infrastructure built in the 1970s - let alone make any improvements. If someone can't afford to have a cell phone because 85 cents is too much for them to pay...then they will just have to go without. It is far more important for us to start paying attention to the overall safety and security of all our citizens. The carriers have been involved and are fighting it tooth and nail. Each provider has dozens of lobbyists working on getting exemptions from E9-1-1 surcharges in every state. Their claim is that they are performing a “public service” by making cell phones affordable for the poor and elderly. Meanwhile, pre-paids account for a large percentage of calls to 9-1-1 which means others are left footing the bill. People with pre-paids are actually 80% more likely to call 9-1-1 than people with cellular contracts, landlines, or VoIP phones.

And the overall amount going towards funding 9-1-1 is dwindling as a lot of people are getting rid of landlines completely. From 2007 to 2008, the percentage of wireless-only households went from 7.7% to 15.8% – a 105% increase. That growth is expected to continue exponentially. Pre-paids are the largest growing segment of cellular users. In some states cell phones and VoIP phones are also not tacked with a 9-1-1 surcharge.

This means less money is going towards maintain an aging 9-1-1 infrastructure built in the 1970s – let alone make any improvements.

If someone can’t afford to have a cell phone because 85 cents is too much for them to pay…then they will just have to go without. It is far more important for us to start paying attention to the overall safety and security of all our citizens.

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