Concurrent with this revolutionary change of telephone usage, official government communications are also changing. Taxpayer funded mail is expensive and declining while live communication via the phone – using Telephone Town Hall technology – is on the rise.
Since 2010, Broadnet’s TeleForum™ has given a voice to more than 45 million citizens through federal, state and local government Telephone Town Halls.
Hundreds of Members of Congress, as well as state and local government officials, organizations and agencies, are using Telephone Town Halls. They provide a forum for thousands of citizens to attend each meeting, interact directly with their elected officials – and voice their opinions or concerns – without leaving their homes or businesses.
Telecommunications laws are being misinterpreted to limit citizens from being called on cell phones by elected officials and government organizations. Consequently, the 62% wireless-only are being left out of these important government Telephone Town Halls.
The citizens who are not getting these important phone calls are those demographics typically underserved or under-represented: the young, low-income and minorities. These are the demographic groups that are more readily adopting a wireless-only household.
Landline usage continues its sharp decline
Impact by state - mobile only users
Current telecommunications laws written in 1991 are vague and ambiguous and limit “persons” from calling mobile phones. These laws specifically define a “person” as an individual, partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust or corporation.
Broadnet filed an FCC petition that points out that a “government” is not a person as defined by law. The Supreme Court of the United States reaffirmed Broadnet’s petition in a decision on January 2016.
On January 10, 2016, before the SCOTUS, Gomez filed a nationwide class action, alleging that Campbell violated the TCPA.
"The United States and its agencies, it is undisputed, are not subject to the TCPA’s prohibitions because no statute lifts their immunity.”
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