Michigan NOT discontinuing wired landline service

I saw the post here the other day, and heard some rumbles in the news media. Ran into my local representative at the local hardware store - told him I didn't think much of the bill. He told me it was not going to "cut grandma's phone off." So I looked up bill to see what it really said. If I read that section right, it sets a mechanism where a company can discontinue service after notifying state, and subscribers. BUT CANNOT DISCONTINUE SERVICE UNLESS ALTERNATIVE SREVICES ARE AVAILABLE. (sec 313). There are other restrictions... Look it up and see what you think, especially if you are in Michigan and have wired land line service. Am I reading it right?

Myself, I'm strongly considering exploring rrlund's example and cancelling my land line in favor of another service anyway. Need to change my cellular carrier anyway... Have become increasingly more dissatisfied with current cellular service. Seems to be deteriorating as time goes on. I would have expected it to be as good or better, but I think they've made a fixed investment, and aren't upgrading as necessary to cover some poorly covered areas, and compensating for greater system loads on current equipment. Another way of saying I don't get coverage where I used to, or it is degraded.
Son has moved to a new place, and there's absolutely zero service at that place. Had to change carriers, and we need to follow, to be able to continue without paying for minutes between his new carrier and ours. Mine has free mobile to mobile but only within our carrier.
Senate bill 0636

That dog wont hunt where I live in Southside Virginia. Hope that trend does not spread south. No cell phone service at my house.

We already had Verizon cell phone service,so when we got this Verizon home phone deal,they set it up so both the home phone and cell phone would be on one bill. Check it out at Radio Shack in Stanton.

Ironically,we just got the new bill from Frontier today. It said the previous bill was $78.40,payent received $78.40,balance due this month? A $1.70 credit. I don't know how they do their math? I should send them a bill and tell them if they don't pay up I'm charging them all kind of late fees and interest.

If I need to give a number for a callback from the doctor etc., I now give them my cell #. In our case the cell phone is much more clear and dependable than the ancient buried landline we have. We call the land line company a couple of times a year because we either lose the signal or it's too scratchy sounding to have a good conversation. If someone leaves a message on our machine we can hardly hear it. We never need to call the cell service. The dependable cell phone is used to call the undependable land line company. Isn't that a switch?

We have considered dropping the land line, most of the calls are telemarketers we don't answer, but some folks still need to look us up in the phone book. Cell phones aren't listed in the phone book and we don't have a need to hide our number from anyone but the telemarketers. I suppose we could have our cell number listed in the phone book but then the telemarketers would find us. How many times did I use the word [color=red:6bf9dcfda4]telemarketers[/color:6bf9dcfda4] in this post!!! Jim

Be careful of the word UNLESS when reading a statute.

(quoted from post at 02:35:53 11/24/13) If I need to give a number for a callback from the doctor etc., I now give them my cell #. In our case the cell phone is much more clear and dependable than the ancient buried landline we have. We call the land line company a couple of times a year because we either lose the signal or it's too scratchy sounding to have a good conversation. If someone leaves a message on our machine we can hardly hear it. We never need to call the cell service. The dependable cell phone is used to call the undependable land line company. Isn't that a switch?

We have considered dropping the land line, most of the calls are telemarketers we don't answer, but some folks still need to look us up in the phone book. Cell phones aren't listed in the phone book and we don't have a need to hide our number from anyone but the telemarketers. I suppose we could have our cell number listed in the phone book but then the telemarketers would find us. How many times did I use the word [color=red:d7e00a1c28]telemarketers[/color:d7e00a1c28] in this post!!! Jim

Click to expand...

The NO CALL service is available for cell numbers as well as for land lines. Not signed up do so today? It is free and prevents calls from all except charities and GD politicians. sigh... They made the law.

In theory some version of cell or satilite phone, TV, and Internet service is available everywhere, so it would appear the bill allows the phone companies to shut down unprofitable land lines anywhere in the state at their digression?

Now if you have a tree or hill or building in the way and don't get good service, that is your problem, the 'coverage' is there just look at the maps, its your problem you get no reception, not the phone co problem.

Interesting stuff, this is the early beginnings of dismantling the core services the govt had regulated as equal for all a 100 years ago.

We are returning to only popular, available to high density areas, of core services. Only those that are profitable.

Those of us truly in the rural areas will suffer do to things like this. It will take 20 years to catch up to us, but we will not have access to services the city people do.

Paul

You are correct. Michigan isn't doing it, it will be happening EVERYWHERE and soon! Just wait and see. I bad idea in my opinion but seems like I am never asked...

Every phone here - wired and cell is registered with DO NOT CALL. Would someone tell the surveys, telemarketers, scammers, politicians, charities, THEY DIDN'T GET THE MEMO!

We dumped our landline in 08. We both have our own cell phones, also had the internet hooked to the cell. We wouldn't go back.

Paul, Just read the posts herein. Many see no need at all for govt. regs or rules of any kind. Until the phone company cuts grandma's line. Just an example of how narrow thinking can come back to bite.

Its interesting that the rural telcos are laying in fiber as fast as they can out here. (ND) Unfortunately I am at the far end of the service area, so it will be 2016 before they get here. Cell coverage is still questionable in some spots, and nonexistent if you dont have the right carrier.

We've had fiber optic in front of the house for quite a few years now. I have my DSL internet through it,but the bill for land line phone service that just sits there doing nothing was costing me more than two and a half times what I pay for DSL.

Neighbor was telling me They're going to drop the landline. Said they HAVE to rent the phones in their house and it's expensive. I didn't realize they were doing that.

We have registered our phones with DO NOT CALL over and again, but that doesn't stop all of the calls. If I remember right, the list can't stop calls from marketers you have done business with in the past. We have three that Marilyn used to buy educational materials from, but she's been retired for four years now and the calls keep coming. When we spurn the call from a couple of them, five minutes later a call will come in from a cell phone from some far flung area code. Same companies, only a different phone. Jim

No call list is worthless and an example of why government needs to have about 75% of it's revenue cut. Had our landline on state and national no call lists Weren't supposed to get calls, got them form State Farm (never did business with them), a Ford dealer 50 miles away (bought a vehicle from their predecessor 8 years earlier), Time Warner Cable (more than 15 years and two states since I had TW cable)as well as various dirt bag mortgage and credit card companies. Government does nothing,when they pass laws that they don't enforce or don't work we should get our taxes back , if they want to take our money and spend it we should have a right to demand accountability, if it doesn't work we get our money back. Landlines in Michigan are not being discontinued.....yet, politicians have put this out there, once they get enough bribes...excuse me I mean "campaign contributions" phone companies will be able to discontinue unprofitable service to rural areas.