OBILE OICES, OBILE JUSTICE

A Strategy Session on Telephones, Wireless Policy, and Social Change

Notes from the Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice strategy session National Conference on Media Reform, Saturday April 9, 2011, Boston Massachusetts Hosted by the Center for Media Justice and Consumers Union

This report is published by the Center for Media Justice (CMJ), based on the discussions at the 2011 NCMR Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice strategy session. Thanks to the staff of Consumers Union (CU) and CMJ for their planning, coordination, and leadership of the strategy session; panel participants for their thoughtful contributions; and co-facilitators for their strategic guidance. This report was written by CMJ Policy Director amalia deloney, based on note-taking by Leticia Medina, Betty Yu, DeAnne Cuellar, and Leticia Miranda.

Published by the Center for Media Justice, May 2011. The Center for Media Justice 436 14th Street, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94612 wwww.centerformediajustice.org phone: 510-698-3800 email: info@centerformediajustice.org

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Introduction
Telephones are one of the most important and useful modern inventions. Whether wireline or wireless, phones and phone calls connect us to one another, are a vital part of our communication system, and are the only access point to the Internet for many. While some take this piece of technology for granted, for many of usprisoners, lowincome communities, immigrants, youth, and communities of colorphone calls and mobile access are a privilege, not a right. Black and Latino communities are more likely than the general population to access the web via cellular phones, and they need strong wireless protections. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 18% of blacks and 16% of English-speaking Latinos access the Internet only from their cell phones. Phones not only keep us connected, but cell phones play an increasing role in social movements. From the recent prison uprising throughout the South to the hundreds of thousands in the streets for immigrant rights, cell phones are a tool for communication rights. The ght for telephone protections raises the opportunity for a broad and intersectional strategy that brings together media policy and social justice advocates. As we transition to a new digitized economy, the power to communicate, and therefore imagine a better future, should belong to everyone. However, our media environment is one of massive corporate consolidation and few consumer protections; our media policies simultaneously support this consolidation and fail to represent the consumers who are most affected by it. Without appropriate and thoughtful intervention, the digital divide appears likely to become self-perpetuating. The failure of telecommunications regulatory agencies to deploy phone and wireless policies that reinforce equity, and the limited ability of public interest advocates to deploy culturally and geographically appropriate strategies for change means that those who dont have access to todays computer technology will face a hard time catching up in tomorrows technological economy.

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

The Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice Strategy Session

National Conference on Media Reform
On Saturday, April 9, 2011, as a follow-up to a September Knowledge Exchange on the Universal Service Fund, the Center for Media Justice and Consumers Union brought together more than 80 individuals from over 45 organizations across the United States and Canada for a strategy session to examine the role of telephones in the lives of under-represented communities, whats at stake in telephone policy, and what can be done to improve policy conditions through grassroots organizing. Held as a two-part, three-hour workshop within a workshopthe session was held during the National Conference on Media ReformMobile Voices, Mobile Justice was specically designed to bridge the divide between media policy and social justice. Using a combination of moderated panel discussion, multimedia popular education, breakout groups, and strategic dialogue, the session was designed to provide policy expertise and engage the experiences of participants to: Highlight the conditions created by existing telephone policy in key constituency groups Investigate the social impacts on those communities Identify grassroots strategies for change Create a broad and intersectional base of support to take on phone justice issues

Strategy Session Agenda

All materials are available for use; links can be found in the resource section at the end of the report. Welcome Facing Race video clips Policy panel Popular education speed dating Topic-specic strategic breakout groups Breakout group report back Closing

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

Grassroots Needs and Assets

What Grassroots Organizations Need to Address Telephone/Wireless Inequity: Participatory action research that illustrates the predatory practice of media and telecommunications corporations in our communities Popular education materials and curriculum that tie media policy/telecom issues to core quality-of-life concerns such as education, healthcare, employment, and public safety Clearer connections between media policy/telecom challenges and other popular struggles for social justice, e.g., redlining, predatory lending, market-based racism, etc. A clear communication channel with D.C. policy makers and regulatory bodies that oversee policy arenas that affect our communities Culturally relevant and community-specic information on the impact of media/telecom policy across all issues Quantitative data from well-respected research institutions that demonstrates the economic impact in ways that can be shared with elected ofcials A legislative strategy that allows us to tackle these issues on a federal and state basis Financial support for strategic statewide initiatives Model legislation for the various ghts Grassroots Organizations Existing Assets and Strengths: Organized communities and individuals who understand that a healthy digital ecology impacts our overall health and well-being Stories of whats workingand whats not Experience with direct action and corporate accountability campaigns Trusted relationships with community institutions and local elected and appointed ofcials Relationships with journalists and bloggers who can write stories that reach social justice audiences Access to community media (radio, TV, etc.) platforms to distribute information Artists and organizers who can popularize the issues

Strategic Breakout Session Report Back

In the second part of our strategy session, participants were asked to join one of four breakout groups on the topics listed below. These breakout conversations were designed to provide time and space for participants to identify the conditions created by existing telephone policy in key constituency groups, investigate the social impacts, and identify collective resources and grassroots strategies for change. Below are some of the top-level learnings from the breakout sessions.

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

Wireless/Cell Phone Protections Why is this issue important? In December 2010 the FCC passed rules that provide only the most minimal consumer protections to wireless users. These new rules created a segregated Internet where wireless users are left with blocked and tiered service. This lack of consumer protections directly disadvantages individuals already excluded by the digital divide. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 18% of blacks and 16% of English-speaking Latinos access the Internet only from their cell phones, compared with 10% of whites. While Latinos and blacks are more likely to access the web via their cell phones, they are often limited in the content they can access and the functionality that is available for everyday needs. For example, it can be difcultor impossibleto ll out a job application or schedule an immigration appointment on a cell phone. Challenges/opportunities Theres a disconnect between D.C. policy advocacy and community needs Current consumer complaint infrastructure is confusing or nonexistent We are up against powerful, well-liked companies with strong traditional civil rights partners Communities lack access to federal regulatory bodiesthe FTC, FCC, etc. What can communities do? Educate consumers in local communities on their rights Connect D.C. policy advocacy to community-driven solutions Innovate alternative models: use local communities as laboratories for models that show government that we have solutions Innovate and lead direct-action approaches Collect stories and complaints from community members who are most affected, using network structure Universal Service Fund Reform/Low-Income Subsidies Why is this issue important? An affordable connection to the telephone network is essential for people to seek and maintain employment; have access to emergency services; contact schools, governmental agencies, and medical service providers; and stay in touch with family and friends. Federal statistics show that lower-income households are less likely to be connected to the phone network than higher-income households. Seventeen percent of those earning less than $30,000 per year are cell-only wireless users, as are 20% of those who have not graduated from high school and 15% of those who have graduated high school but have not attended college. Today, the FCC estimates that broadband service is completely unavailable to at least 14 million Americans. And, according to a report by Pew, only 67% of Native Americans have telephone service in their homes. Challenges/opportunities Enrollment requirements for subsidized service are overly narrow and prohibitive The USF should be expanded to include broadband, but not cut telephone access for those who need it The USF is largely administered by states, which leads to a lack of clarity, uneven regulation, and differing standards Studies indicate that 67% of people who qualify for USF programs are not using them We need a state-based legislative strategy to engage in implementation decisions, with model policies

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

What can communities do? Participate in all comments related to USF reformespecially low-income programs Collect stories to share with elected ofcials (especially state and local public utility commissions) from individuals using the programs Hold USF hearings in partnership with the FCC on low-income programs Conduct public education campaigns to increase awareness of the programs Participate in local, statewide, and regional groups focused on these issues Work with ethnic and local media to highlight the needs of specic communities as well as the inadequacies of the program as it exists Prison Phone Calls Why is this issue important? As prisoners are increasingly housed in facilities hundreds of miles away from their home communities, telephones become the only way to stay in touch with loved ones. The telecommunications rms that provide prison phone services engage in an industry-standard practice of providing kickbacks (commissions) to state contracting agencies, which often award prison phone service contracts based not on the lowest rate, but on the highest kickback. The commissions range up to 60% of revenue from prison phone calls, and costs are passed on to the consumers who pay for those callsprisoners families. Thus, prisoners families pay some of the highest phone rates in the nation when they accept calls from the incarcerated. A typical interstate collect call from a prison has a $3.95 connection fee, and rates per minute can be as high as $0.89. Just one hour of calls per week at that rate can result in phone charges of nearly $300 per month. Challenges/opportunities We need federal regulation from the FCC that caps cost We lack coordinated statewide strategies We need model state legislation that can be easily customized and implemented We need state-based legislation to prevent kickbacks

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

What can communities do? Join the Prison Phone Justice Campaign Create political pressure on the FCC to make the issue visible and move it toward a solution Collect stories of how prison phone costs are affecting peoples lives Develop and lead a divestment campaign Highlight the money generated by states and municipalities through commissionsand what its paying for Long-Distance Calling Cards Why is this issue important? Prepaid calling cards, rst introduced to the retail market two decades ago, have undergone explosive growth over the last ten years thanks to globalization of the U.S. workforce and declining international long-distance costs. This combination has enabled the U.S. prepaid phone card industry to generate annual revenues estimated at well over $4 billion. Over the years, the promise of huge prot margins has created a competitive drive to advertise and sell cards with cheaper rates and more minutes to an ever-growing base of migrant consumers. Beginning as early as 2000, this race to provide more minutes for less money has led many companies to promise more than they deliverat consumers expense. Challenges/opportunities Tie the issue to other predatory corporate practices Develop basic issue education materials and action-related tools Create a power analysis of players and proteers to determine who should be held accountable (i.e., companies, carriers, local stores, subcontractors, distributors) What can communities do? Build local alliances to support fair business practices Target calling card companies with predatory practices Conduct consumer education and launch a public education campaign about prepaid calling cards Push for policy that regulates calling cards

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice

Available Resources and Support from the Center for Media Justice
Coordination and support to le collaborative comments Research, materials, and federal alliance building for the Prison Phone Justice Campaign Support to complete and distribute a Cell Phone Literacy Toolkit Processes under way with the FCC to ensure USF eld hearings Processes under way with FCC to ensure AT&T/T-Mobile merger eld hearings Organizing initiatives Black Voices for Internet Freedom and Latinos for Internet Freedom, conducted in partnership with Free Press Related policy briefs, policy/issue workshops, and educational materials Coordination of national communications work on each issue, elevating grassroots voices

Resources
All resources can also be found via the MAG-Net website. Listening Session Resources: Strategic Breakout Session Guiding Questions Background information and facts: Wireless Fact Sheet Prison Calls Fact Sheet Long-Distance Calling Cards Fact Sheet Universal Service Fund/Low-Income Program Fact Sheet Facing Race Video Clips Universal Service Fund Policy Brief Mobile Broadband Policy Brief Prison Legal News Report: Nationwide PLN Survey Examines Prison Phone Contracts, Kickbacks Popular Education Tools: Human Phone Bingo Phone Justice Speed Dating Tree of Knowledge and Communication Mural

Mobile Voices, Mobile Justice