Cell Industry Front Group Attacks AARP to Defeat Consumer Protections
23 June 2006
Today the cell phone industry continued its efforts to deny cell phone customers essential consumer protections by accusing AARP of "misleading New Yorkers" about the need for wireless consumer protections.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040730/AARPNYLOGO )
Mywireless.org is an organization created and funded by the nation's largest cell phone companies and whose office in Washington, DC is located in the same office as the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA). In its most recent attempt to distract from the important issues at hand, mywireless.org has extracted one question from an AARP survey to muddy the waters to defeat consumer protection legislation.
As the mouthpiece for the wireless industry, the purpose of mywireless.org's assertions should be seen for what they are -- to confuse, confound and distract. By attacking AARP, mywireless.org has only succeeded in driving home the point that this is an industry in need of oversight and which cries out for consumer protections.
AARP NY has released information from three different surveys done over the last three years on this subject: one of all New Yorkers age 18+ conducted in 2004; one of Long Island AARP members conducted in 2005; and a national survey recently completed. All surveys were released in their entirety to the media, the public, and legislators. Each survey reveals the same results -- broad support for the provisions of the Wireless Telephone Service Consumer Protection Act.
According to the 2004, poll released by AARP, New Yorkers support: being able to cancel their contracts after they get their first bill (87%); knowing where their phone works and where they'll hit "dead zones" (95%); knowing where E-911 works (87%); and getting a list of charges and an estimate of a total monthly bill (82%).
The poll was commissioned by AARP with data collection conducted by independent pollsters Alan Newman Research. The survey report was based on data from a telephone survey of 801 New York residents age 18 plus that was conducted from May 6 through May 17, 2004. The survey has a sampling error of +/-3.5%.
The poll is available in its entirety on-line at: http://www.aarp.org/research/reference/publicopinions/aresearch-import-870.html. I challenge anyone to look at the polling commissioned by AARP and that which was released by "mywireless.org" and to decide which organization is "using leading questions to produce desired response."
The provisions of this legislation have been strongly endorsed by leading consumer organizations in New York State such as Consumers Union, NYPIRG, and the Public Utility Law Project as well as the Communications Workers of America.
In these closing days of the legislative session, legislators are being asked to choose between a multi-billion dollar industry seeking to protect its special interests or consumers who rely on their wireless products and services in many instances as a safety device.
AARP strongly recommends that the Legislature not study this issue, but act and pass this straight forward consumer disclosure bill. This would create vital consumer protections for the millions of cell phone users in New York State, especially those older and low-income persons who find themselves trapped in unaffordable contracts.
Contacts: David Irwin (518) 447-6723
Bill Ferris (518) 447-6712
Source: prnewswire
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