Elaine

Once upon a time there was no choice when it came to your phone service. Not only did you have to get your service through Bell Systems, you had to rent the equipment from them too. Yes, you had to actually rent the phone that was plugged into the RJ-45 on your wall. A 1968 case where Carter Electronics took on Bell Systems resolved that problem when a judge ruled that third party equipment can be plugged in and used on the network that Bell Systems maintained and provided service on. A whole new communications industry was born and consumers were free to choose which equipment they wanted to use for communications.

The Bell System companies dragged their feet for many years after the Carterphone decision, still requiring customers to rent their equipment up until consumers fought them well into the late 70's. Even through that battle, we are still retreating back to the era where our communications options are becoming increasingly controlled in other arenas. Consumers are forced into contracts they don't want to be locked into, and to use phones only supplied by our wireless providers, Shouldn't the 1968 Carterfone decision make a difference in the wireless industry? Because of this case, shouldn't I as a consumer have the ability to use whatever equipment I want on a wireless network? How about a cable network? The Internet?

In the Carterfone case, the FCC cited their decision which stated that a subscriber's right to use the network in ways which are "privately beneficial without being publicly detrimental" applied to ALL TYPES OF EQUIPMENT. What does this mean? It means that everybody who subscribes to a service is able to use their own equipment in a way that benefits the subscriber as long as no other subscribers are affected. Without the Hush-A-Phone or Carterfone decisions, companies like AOL may have tried to rent us "the only computer that will work on the Internet." Electric companies could make a case for dictating which light bulbs you use. Gas companies might force you to buy their brand of furnaces.

Still today, most cable companies require their subscribers to rent a cable box you could buy your own. SIM card technology provides the ability to switch wireless phones whenever a person wants to, yet providers such as Verizon and Alltell fail to embrace this technology, forcing consumers to sign a new contract or spend exorbitant amounts of money to simply switch

As consumers we need to start demanding better of our service providers. AT&T and Sprint allow us to use SIM cards with most of their phones. We can go online and purchase a phone off Ebay, pop in the SIM card from an old phone and you're ready to go! There is alternative equipment that can be used on cable networks, but nobody really challenges cable companies when it comes to actually using it. We all just keep our mouths shut, dig in our pockets and fork over the extra $5 a month to rent the box. We have come along way since 1969. There are multiple phone carriers, wireless companies, and cable companies to choose from. But we can do better than being roped into paying a subscription fee on items we can buy ourselves or signing 2 year contracts just to get the latest smartphone. Remember it's supply and demand. Ultimately it should come down to the consumers wants and needs. Not what the provider is willing to give us.

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