The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
~
EDOLPHUS "ED" TOWNS
MEMBER OF CONGRESS
10TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK
OVERSIGHT AND
GOVERNMENT REFORM
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION,
EFFICIENCY AND FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT
RANKING MEMBER
ENERGY AND COMMERCE
HEALTH
COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND
THEINTEANET
COMMERCE, MANUFACTURING AND
TRADE
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mtas1Jtngton. :me 20515·3210
January 25,2012
WASHINGTON OFFICE:
SUITE 2232
RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515·3210
(202) 225-5936
BROOKLYN OFFICES:
186 JORALEMON STREET.
SUITE 1102
BROOKLYN, NY 11201
(718) 855-8018
10408 FLATLANDS AVENUE,
BROOKLYN, NY 11236
(718) 272-1175
Re: Universal Service Fund
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
I am writing to urge the Commission to make the payphone eligible for support from the
Universal Service Fund (USF) to assure New Yorkers and fellow Americans the availability of
reliable public pay telephone service.
On 9/11 in Manhattan, there were lines ofpeople around the block calling loved ones to
let them know that they were okay or just to'find out infonnationfrom an operator, E91l
connecting them to Fire, Police, EMS and other first responders. Even NYC's emergency
personnel were using the public payphone network to communicate with other emergency
services. We all remember the time in August 2003 during the major "Blackout" along the east
coast people in New York could only communicate through the Public Telephone network
because their cell batters died and towers did not have power or were overloaded. In homes the
cordless phones and fiber systems were all without power.
These "Blackout" and "Brownouts" occur every year in New York City (NYC) and
throughout the state. FEMA was in upstate New York when over one million fellow New
Yorkers were without food, power or cell phone service for over two weeks. The only things
working were flash lights and payphones during Hurricane Irene. There were more outages
during the earthquake in the sununer of2011.
In times ofnational disaster or other security situations Public Payphones play an
important role for emergency communications. Today, NYC has 50 million visitors annually and
many need and use the Public Pay Telephone network. This year the city was planning to remove
thousands of fire alarm call boxes from all the streets. NYC, like the rest of our great State,
cannot afford to lose the Public Payphone industry. Today, NYC is on elevated "Terror Alert"
making Payphones an important link to our telecommunications network; a link that is more
.., .
•valuable ifwe can rely on its widespread availability. Public Pay Telephones are vital to public
health and safety to NYC and Domestic Security.
As a public official, I have seen firsthand the need for a reliable system of publicly
available wireline phones that we can depend on as a nation. While the majority of New Yorkers
have wireless phones, as we have seen time and time again, wireless service is not flawless. Cell
phones are often inoperable during these periods when we need them most, sending their
customers to payphones in order to connect to the telecommunications network. Despite the
proliferation of cell phones the need remains for Americans to know that no matter what
situation occurs they have relatively widespread access to the communications network when
outside of their homes or businesses.
Without support from the USF subsidy and at the rate at which the number ofpayphones
is declining, in several years a person will not be able to find a payphone to use in an emergency
situation. With the planned removal of the fire call boxes in NYC there will be no way for a
person to call for help next time there is a blackout, a hurricane, or a fire. Immediate relief is
needed to maintain payphone service and prevent the removals now before it's too late.
Thank you for your consideration ofUSF support for Public Pay Telephone service.
Ed lphus "Ed" Towns
Member of Congress
Cc:
The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner
The Honorable Robert McDowell, Commissioner