MyWireless.org Communications and Policy Update

Communications and Policy Update

Here is the monthly communications and policy update for June.

The clock is winding down on the Internet tax moratorium. We have hit the crucial summer months when lawmakers will begin to turn their attention to priority “must pass” legislation, their campaigns, and their states/districts. It is crucial to make noise on the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) bills in a way that grabs their attention in regards to each of these areas.

More ITFA-content right now and through the summer in a wide variety of forms (articles, blogs, constituent and lawmaker emails/outreach, interviews, op-eds, panels, podcasts, workshops etc…) will be crucial to getting the issue over the finish line. And along with ITFA, digital goods taxes/Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act and wireless taxes/Wireless Tax Fairness Act are a natural add on to any commentary and engagement. Each of these bills/issues are vital to providing certainty and relief to consumers and go right along with one another in advocacy.

Updates:

We recently posted an infographic and blog highlighting some of the key stats from our 2013 Asian-American Consumer Survey.  Some very impressive and revealing stats touched on in the piece. Feel free to share:

Next we will be putting a graphic together that highlights the key findings ahead of our 2014 Annual Consumer Survey, which is being fielded right now.

Network highlights:

Speaking of ITFA, there was a lot of great content, coverage and research on the issue over the past month. Here is a small sample:

·         Breitbart: Internet Tax Ban Set to Expire in November

·         The Christian Science Monitor: Internet access may be taxed for first time

·         Daily Caller: Congress Mulls Internet Access Taxes For Millions Of Americans 

·         Fox News: The Return Of The Internet Tax?

·         The Hill: Norquist: Don’t tax the Net

·         The Hill: Thune calls for permanent ban on Internet tax

·         The Wall Street Journal: Lawmakers Struggle Over Web Tax

·         The Wall Street Journal: Internet Freedom's Expiration Date

·         The Washington Times: EDITORIAL: Saving the Internet from killer taxes 

·         Citizens Against Government Waste: The Clock is ticking on Internet Taxation

·         Heartland Institute: Annabelle Canning: Make Internet Tax Moratorium Permanent

·         Institute for Policy Innovation: Rescue Consumers from Internet Tax Now

·         ITFA Coalition: Internet Tax Freedom Act (Video)

·         Phoenix Center: Policy Perspective: Should the Internet Tax Moratorium be Made Permanent?  

·         Tax Foundation: Six Months Until the Internet Tax Moratorium Expires

·         Washington Policy Center: Will the Washingtons keep access to the internet tax free? 

I also want to share the recent appearance by CTIA VP of Government Affairs Jot Carpenter onCSPAN Communicatorstalking spectrum, all-things wireless, and at around the 22:05 mark, wireless taxes. (Internet access taxes, wireless taxes, digital goods/services taxes, and corporate taxes specifically.) A great resource to watch for points on all of these issues.

MyWireless.org blogs:

Consumer Victory! Maine Legislature Votes to Defeat Phone Tax Increase

Consumer Victory: More Spectrum Coming Soon

Wireless and Asian-Americans 

Oppose Chicago’s 911 Fee Money Grab

Wireless in the news:

Pebble: The Wearable Future: May WOW Wireless at Work

A look into the world of wearable technology and how it will enhance consumers’ lives: http://bit.ly/St7fRZ via CTIA - The Wireless Association

Dominick J. Ruggerio and Patricia Jacobs: Protecting consumers in a digital world

Leaders from the RI State Senate and AT&T on the importance of committing to protecting consumers in a digital world: http://bit.ly/Q6lSbR via Providence Journal

Smartphone apps helping producers with herd health, recordkeeping, market prices

 Smartphone apps aren't just for texting! How apps are helping producers in Iowa with herd health, recordkeeping, etc.: http://bit.ly/1fMptsb via Iowa Farmer Today

Wearable Tech: From Smartphones to Smart Living: http://wrd.cm/1lScxkf via Wired

Police add texting to crisis negotiation arsenal

With 6 billion texts sent daily in the U.S., texting has become a part of police crisis negotiations: http://bit.ly/1jji8KZ via The Post-Standard

The Internet Is Not a Rotary Phone: http://on.recode.net/1mSgZ0Z via re/code

Weather the storms with smartphone apps

How to use your smartphone to keep up on whatever kind of weather Mother Nature decides to throw your way: http://strib.mn/1iFPOmc via The Star Tribune

Another Push to Pay With Smartphones at Vending Machines

If anything should be able to get people to use phones as mobile wallets, it’s vending machines: http://nyti.ms/1jaoguU via The New York Times

Smartphones, Smartwatches and, Now, Smart Toothbrushes: http://nyti.ms/1uUkB8g via The New York Times

In a connected world, the smartphone remains king: http://bit.ly/1oJvatq via Gigaom

Isis Claims 20,000 New Wallets Per Day

Has your wallet gone mobile yet? Isis reports that 20k new accounts were created per day in April: http://ubm.io/R0YuNf via InformationWeek

Digital Life in 2025

A look into what our digital lives could look like in 2025: http://bit.ly/1mOJizm via Pew Research Internet Project

Chicago's next tax increase - cellphones?: http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/chicagos-next-tax-increase-%E2%80%94-cellphones/tue-05272014-1031amvia Chicago Sun-Times

Hey, App Developers: You May Be Missing A Big Opportunity In Poor And Middle America

Given the breakdown of America's mobile-only population, are app developers writing for the right audiences?: http://bit.ly/1kcmPqz via readwrite

Amber Alert: Why mobile phone users got urgent missing-child texts

Cellphone & smartphone users across Southern CA received urgent missing-child texts (AMBER Alerts) Friday. Here's why: http://lat.ms/1nR6KdS  via Los Angeles Times

mHealth app helps elderly patients with medical independence
mHealth apps are helping elderly patients with medical independence: http://bit.ly/1hzMwle via FierceMobileIT

Small business on-the-go? Smartphones can help

Have a small business on-the-go? Smartphones can help: http://usat.ly/1tLa6CT via USA Today

The Internet of You

As wearable devices get better-looking and more powerful, we’ll probably trust them to monitor more of our lives: http://bit.ly/TRaOSL via MIT Technology Review

Meeker: As Internet User Growth Slows, the Real Driver Is Mobile Usage: http://on.recode.net/1ntESRp  via re/code