These access charges, which are assessed on a per-minute basis, would lead to the end of flat-rate Internet access packages. If you now pay $19/month for Internet access, you would have to pay $19/month *PLUS* an additional charge of as much as 60 cents an hour. For a mere 20 hours per month, this new fee would add $12/month to your Internet service bill! What new features would you receive for this new service? None! Just more of the same, and your local phone company would pocket your money.
The Internet Access Coalition applauds Chairman Hundt, and Commissioners Quello, Ness, and Chong for their refusal to allow any additional burdens to be placed on consumer Internet access. All of us who access the Internet via telephone modems from our homes should appreciate their tentative decision and should encourage them to make this a final decision.
Public comments on the FCC's tentative conclusion not to allow the local telephone companies to assess new fees that would be passed along to PC users who access the Internet via modem were required to be submitted to the FCC on January 27, 1997; "reply comments" on these public comments were due to the FCC by 5:00 PM EST on February 14, 1997. Even though these deadlines have passed, you still may submit comments, either by mail or email. Such comments will be considered "Late Filed or Ex Parte" comments, but still may influence FCC actions.
Do you want to submit comments via email? Simply email your comments to the FCC. As noted in the What Can I Do? page on this site, experience has shown that your comments will be taken more seriously if they are responsibly worded and concise.
Only one copy of electronically-filed comments must be submitted. You must put the docket number of the proceeding (CC Docket No. 96-262) in the subject line, and you also must note in the subject line if an electronic submission is an exact copy of formal comments. You also must include your full name and Postal Service mailing address in your submission. Because, as explained above, the formal filing deadlines have passed, you also should indicate that your comments are late-filed.
Today's speed limits of 28.8 or 33.6 kbps result from the limitations of your PC or the Internet backbone but, rather, the analog hardware and software employed in the telephone network by local phone companies, including the "Baby Bells" (Ameritech, BellSouth, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, SBC, and US West) and GTE. If these phone companies deployed existing digital, packet-switched technologies (such as ADSL or HDSL), your Internet connection speeds could be increased by a factor of 100 or more!
Public comments on the FCC's Notice of Inquiry must be submitted by 5:00 PM EST on March 24, 1997. "Reply comments" on these comments then must be submitted to the FCC by 5:00 PM EST on April 23, 1997. Send your comments to the FCC before these deadlines. Again, as noted in the What Can I Do? page on this site, experience has shown that your comments will be taken more seriously if they are responsibly worded and concise.
Only one copy of electronically-filed comments must be submitted. You must put the docket number of the proceeding (CC Docket No. 96-263) in the subject line, and you also must note in the subject line if an electronic submission is an exact copy of formal comments. You also must include your full name and Postal Service mailing address in your submission.
The Commission has established a new FCC Web site on the Internet access proceeding.