Phone bill would bring Ohio law into 21st century

Phone bill would bring Ohio law into 21st century

EDITOR:

I write to respond to the op-ed piece that appeared Jan. 13 by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC). I have studied the bill she wrote about and have followed its progress through the Ohio General Assembly. You would think that she’s writing about a different piece of legislation than the one I’m familiar with.

In the waning days of 2009, the Ohio Senate passed the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act with a bi-partisan vote of 29-3. This came after the Senate Public Utilities Committee approved the measure unanimously after eight hearings that included testimony by the OCC and her staff. The chairman of the committee, Senator Chris Widener, also pointed out to the OCC during her testimony that after numerous meetings between the committee staff and the OCC staff, approximately 22 of her 30 “demands” had been written into the bill.

This legislation reforms and modernizes Ohio’s telecom laws, which have failed to keep pace with the many changes in the industry in the past decade. The bill also includes a rate cap for the only sector of the industry, traditional wireline telephones, that remains rate-regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Most of these companies haven’t raised rates since 1984. And, perhaps most compelling, the number of landlines in Ohio today is less than half of what it was just ten years ago.

This bill reflects the fact that the traditional phone companies now face competition from wireless phones, cable phones, and internet phones. It also modernizes rules that were created over 50 years ago. For example, the current Ohio Revised Code still refers to the “telegraph” over 50 times. Meanwhile, the PUCO will retain appropriate consumer protections for basic local exchange service.

However, more importantly, passage of this law will help create or retain new telecom jobs, attract expanded investment in the industry and bring new and better services to the state. In October, I had the pleasure of attending a news conference in Boardman with Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio AT&T President Tom Pelto. Even though the company’s traditional wireline telephone service is in decline, in part due to the rules this bill would change, AT&T Ohio is still creating 150 new jobs at their Boardman Mobility Center to assist customers in 11 states. Almost all of those jobs will be represented by the Communications Workers of America.

In today’s struggling economy, how many companies can announce the creation of new jobs? AT&T currently has more employees represented by a union than the big three auto companies combined. They are the largest private employer of union employees in the nation. Ohioans need these jobs. They represent the future for both our families and our state.

SETH ROSEN, vice president

CWA District 4

Cleveland