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North Carolina Call to Action: Fight to Protect Better Broadband!

Q.  What moves faster than North Carolina’s cable and DSL service?

A.  Legislation to make sure the state’s telecom companies can continue to provide slow, expensive, and hit or miss service for years to come.

Big Telecom money has greased the process as H.129, the Telecom Monopoly Preservation and Protection Act is rushed to the House floor before North Carolina consumers know what is happening.

Residents have until Monday evening at 7pm to make their feelings known on this anti-consumer nightmare for cities and small towns:

  • H.129 will shut down the digital economies of small cities like Wilson and Salisbury just as they are primed to sell themselves as a great home for high-tech, high-paying jobs.
  • H.129 guarantees rural North Carolina will resemble the 21st century equivalent of Oliver Twist — begging for whatever limited broadband the state’s phone companies refuse to deliver.

The appalling truth is that the companies pushing for this bill only want broadband service on their watch, under their control, with their high prices and virtually no competition or choice.  And now AT&T is prepared to limit your broadband usage as well, establishing usage caps and overcharging customers who exceed them.

Do you want your broadband choices limited to these phone and cable companies?  Considering North Carolina broadband is ranked 41st out of the 50 states, it’s clear they don’t consider the state a priority.

But it does not have to be this way.  Where providers drop the ball, communities should have the choice to pick it up and run with it.  That is what Wilson and Salisbury did, and the result is the best broadband service in the state.  That’s a threat Time Warner Cable and CenturyLink can’t afford to ignore, which is why they want these networks stopped at all costs.

Defeating H.129 is critical to the state’s broadband future.  As written, it delivers no new broadband connections, does not promote or provide any competition, or help any individual or community.  It was written by the state’s telecom companies to benefit them, and them alone.  It guarantees you will be stuck paying ever-increasing bills for limited service indefinitely.

Tell House members they must do what is right for the voters, not what is right for the cable and phone companies.  Tell them to VOTE NO ON H.129.  The broadband saved may be your own.

You can find your individual representative and their contact information below the jump.  Please get writing and calling today!

NC House of Representatives Members

2011-2012 Session

(Click the name of your Member to obtain current contact information)

 

Party District Member Counties Represented
Dem 58 Alma Adams Guilford
Dem 107 Kelly M. Alexander, Jr. Mecklenburg
Dem 106 Martha B. Alexander Mecklenburg
Rep 40 Marilyn Avila Wake
Rep 82 Jeff Barnhart Cabarrus
Dem 21 Larry M. Bell Sampson, Wayne
Rep 86 Hugh Blackwell Burke
Rep 62 John M. Blust Guilford
Rep 52 James L. Boles, Jr. Moore
Dem 63 Alice L. Bordsen Alamance
Rep 49 Glen Bradley Franklin, Halifax, Nash
Dem 60 Marcus Brandon Guilford
Rep 103 William Brawley Mecklenburg
Dem 22 William D. Brisson Bladen, Cumberland
Rep 73 Larry R. Brown Davidson, Forsyth
Rep 81 Rayne Brown Davidson
Rep 78 Harold J. Brubaker Randolph
Dem 7 Angela R. Bryant Halifax, Nash
Rep 67 Justin P. Burr Montgomery, Stanly, Union
Dem 102 Becky Carney Mecklenburg
Rep 14 George G. Cleveland Onslow
Rep 25 Jeff Collins Nash
Rep 6 Bill Cook Beaufort, Pitt
Dem 100 Tricia Ann Cotham Mecklenburg
Dem 32 James W. Crawford, Jr. Granville, Vance
Rep 109 William A. Current, Sr. Gaston
Rep 26 N. Leo Daughtry Johnston
Rep 4 Jimmy Dixon Duplin, Onslow
Rep 80 Jerry C. Dockham Davidson
Rep 36 Nelson Dollar Wake
Dem 101 Beverly M. Earle Mecklenburg
Rep 61 John Faircloth Guilford
Dem 50 Bill Faison Caswell, Orange
Dem 24 Jean Farmer-Butterfield Edgecombe, Wilson
Dem 114 Susan C. Fisher Buncombe
Dem 43 Elmer Floyd Cumberland
Rep 74 Dale R. Folwell Forsyth
Rep 84 Phillip Frye Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell, Yancey
Dem 69 Pryor Gibson [ Resigned 03/03/2011 ] Anson, Union
Dem 33 Rosa U. Gill Wake
Rep 85 Mitch Gillespie Burke, McDowell
Dem 45 Rick Glazier Cumberland
Dem 66 Ken Goodman Montgomery, Richmond
Dem 47 Charles Graham Robeson
Rep 113 W. David Guice Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
Dem 54 Joe Hackney Chatham, Moore, Orange
Rep 112 Mike Hager Cleveland, Rutherford
Dem 119 R. Phillip Haire Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
Dem 29 Larry D. Hall Durham
Dem 18 Susi H. Hamilton New Hanover
Dem 57 Pricey Harrison Guilford
Rep 110 Kelly E. Hastings Cleveland, Gaston
Dem 20 Dewey L. Hill Brunswick, Columbus
Rep 96 Mark K. Hilton Catawba
Rep 88 Mark W. Hollo Alexander, Catawba
Rep 91 Bryan R. Holloway Rockingham, Stokes
Rep 68 D. Craig Horn Union
Rep 79 Julia C. Howard Davie, Iredell
Rep 70 Pat B. Hurley Randolph
Rep 17 Frank Iler Brunswick
Rep 64 Dan W. Ingle Alamance
Dem 56 Verla Insko Orange
Dem 39 Darren G. Jackson Wake
Dem 59 Maggie Jeffus Guilford
Rep 83 Linda P. Johnson Cabarrus
Una 65 Bert Jones Rockingham
Rep 93 Jonathan C. Jordan Ashe, Watauga
Rep 16 Carolyn H. Justice New Hanover, Pender
Dem 115 Patsy Keever Buncombe
Rep 105 Ric Killian Mecklenburg
Rep 28 James H. Langdon, Jr. Johnston, Sampson
Rep 10 Stephen A. LaRoque Greene, Lenoir, Wayne
Rep 53 David R. Lewis Harnett
Dem 42 Marvin W. Lucas Cumberland
Dem 30 Paul Luebke Durham
Dem 34 Grier Martin Wake
Rep 19 Daniel F. McComas New Hanover
Rep 92 Darrell G. McCormick Iredell, Surry, Yadkin
Rep 13 Pat McElraft Carteret, Jones
Rep 75 Wm. C. “Bill” McGee Forsyth
Rep 117 Chuck McGrady Henderson
Dem 69 Frank McGuirt [ Appointed 03/07/2011 ] Anson, Union
Dem 9 Marian N. McLawhorn Pitt
Dem 31 Henry M. Michaux, Jr. Durham
Rep 95 Grey Mills Iredell
Dem 5 Annie W. Mobley Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Perquimans
Rep 116 Tim D. Moffitt Buncombe
Dem 99 Rodney W. Moore Mecklenburg
Rep 111 Tim Moore Cleveland
Rep 41 Tom Murry Wake
Dem 1 Bill Owens Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Tyrrell
Dem 44 Diane Parfitt Cumberland
Dem 72 Earline W. Parmon Forsyth
Dem 48 Garland E. Pierce Hoke, Robeson, Scotland
Rep 46 G. L. Pridgen Hoke, Robeson, Scotland
Rep 94 Shirley B. Randleman Wilkes
Dem 118 Ray Rapp Haywood, Madison, Yancey
Rep 97 Johnathan Rhyne, Jr. Lincoln
Dem 38 Deborah K. Ross Wake
Rep 11 Efton M. Sager Wayne
Rep 104 Ruth Samuelson Mecklenburg
Rep 3 Norman W. Sanderson Craven, Pamlico
Rep 89 Mitchell S. Setzer Catawba, Iredell
Rep 15 Phil R. Shepard Onslow
Dem 2 Timothy L. Spear Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington
Rep 37 Paul Stam Wake
Rep 87 Edgar V. Starnes Caldwell
Rep 76 Fred F. Steen, II Rowan
Rep 90 Sarah Stevens Alleghany, Surry
Rep 51 Mike C. Stone Harnett, Lee
Rep 98 Thom Tillis Mecklenburg
Dem 23 Joe P. Tolson Edgecombe, Wilson
Rep 108 John A. Torbett Gaston
Dem 12 William L. Wainwright Craven, Lenoir
Dem 8 Edith D. Warren Martin, Pitt
Rep 77 Harry Warren Rowan
Dem 35 Jennifer Weiss Wake
Rep 120 Roger West Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon
Dem 55 W. A. (Winkie) Wilkins Durham, Person
Dem 71 Larry Womble Forsyth
Dem 27 Michael H. Wray Northampton, Vance, Warren
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Fred
Fred
13 years ago

What can we here in South Carolina do to help? Thank you for your yeoman’s work.

Stephen Cobb
Stephen Cobb
13 years ago

Thanks for documenting this stuff Phillip. I have friends that don’t believe me when I tell them the big telcos are trying squash local broadband initiatives, even in places that the big telcos refuse to serve. (Time Warner quoted me $100,000 to connect my small business in Upstate New York to their nearest point, just 5 miles away.)

Appreciate your hard work helping to open eyes. I am trying to educate my urban broadband-using friends about what their providers are really like.

Stephen

Alek
Alek
13 years ago
Reply to  Stephen Cobb

Stephen, It’s funny how you mention about TWC’s quote. I myself have had a quote from them stating that they want around the same dollar amount to run a line to my house which is around 4 miles from the nearest point. I asked them 6 years ago when I moved to my house, and then again just a couple of months ago, and still the same answer. I too live in Upstate NY, in Berne. I have even contacted Mid-Hudson cable which services Rensselaerville (not to far from where I live) but they can’t run line either because of… Read more »

Stephen Cobb
Stephen Cobb
13 years ago
Reply to  Alek

Alek — Very interesting NY coincidence. I will definitely ook into the TOA aspect and franchise area. How did you find that out?

Here’s the email I got from TWC. I also got, prior to that, a signed TWC contract to supply me with service with no connection fee.

http://blog.agrilan.com/2010/09/no-so-big-foot-time-warner-business.html

Alek
Alek
13 years ago
Reply to  Stephen Cobb

Stephen,

I got the information from here, {58932C04-4384-4CF9-B568-B0AB0A605F7F}
It lists all towns in which the franchise is expired or is about to expire.

Edit:You’ll have to copy and paste the link as it did not highlight the whole link.

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