Free Cell Phone Service For Low Income Residents
Posted on August 17, 2008
Tennessee is the first state in the nation to provide free wireless phone service to its low-income residents. Prepaid cell phone provider TracFone Wireless Inc. announced Friday that it’s launching its SafeLink Wireless program in Tennessee. SafeLink provides eligible low-income households with a cell phone, access to emergency services and 68 minutes of free air time for up to a year. The Federal Communications Commission recently authorized TracFone to provide SafeLink, the company’s version of the federal program Lifeline. Other carriers are certified to use Lifeline, but they provide discounts on wireless service, rather than free service. Jose Fuentes, director of government relations for SafeLink Wireless, said the program will aid more than 800,000 low-income households in Tennessee.
The effect of cellular phone use upon driver attention.
McKnight AJ, McKnight AS.
National Public Services Research Institute, Landover, MD 20785. In this study, 150 subjects observed a 25-minute video driving sequence containing 45 highway traffic situations to which they were expected to respond by manipulation of simulated vehicle controls. Each situation occurred under five conditions of distraction: placing a cellular phone call, carrying on a causal cellular phone conversation, carrying on an intense cellular phone conversation, tuning a radio, and no distraction. All of the distractions led to significant increases in the proportion of situations to which subjects failed to respond. However, significant age differences of nonresponse appeared. Among subjects over age 50, nonresponses increased by about one-third under all of the telephone distractions. The response rate of younger subjects increased by a lesser degree except under intense conversation. Results were not influenced by gender or prior experience with cellular phones. The authors conclude that older drivers might reduce their accident risk during attention-demanding traffic conditions by avoiding use of cellular phones and that other drivers might do so by refraining from calls involving intense conversation.
Cellular phone service deal moves to FCC
Vt. settlement clears way for Verizon’s Unicel acquisition
June 11, 2008
By Bruce Edwards Rutland Herald
The two largest cellular phone companies in the state will divest their overlapping service territories under an antitrust settlement announced Tuesday. Verizon Wireless and Rural Cellular Corp., which does business as Unicel, reached an agreement with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Justice that will allow Verizon Wireless to move forward with its previously announced $2.67 billion purchase of the smaller cellular phone company, which operates in 15 states. The settlement and Verizon’s purchase of Unicel still requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said in a statement that "maintaining competition in this market is vitally important to the overall economic health of our state." Sorrell said requiring Verizon and Unicel to find a competitor to enter the Vermont market "will ensure that consumers continue to enjoy the benefits of competition in the cell phone market." ***
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