Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY), took additional steps to educate and inform his supporters this morning in an e-mail message designed to bring additional attention to the Time Warner usage capping issue, and to encourage people to stay aware of ongoing developments.

Rep. Massa has taken a lead on this issue, in response to large numbers of complaints from constituents in his western New York district who would be seriously affected by Time Warner’s usage caps and price hikes.  Many within his district live in rural areas outside of metropolitan Rochester, and do not have access to DSL or wi-fi alternatives, leaving Time Warner broadband with de facto monopoly status.  The congressman expressed dissatisfaction with the “concessions” offered by Time Warner last week in response to customer complaints, noting that customers who wish to retain their current level of broadband service are being asked to pay three times more for the same product.

Hello,

First off, I want to reassure you that this is not a fundraising email.  Instead I want to take a minute to update you on the issues surrounding my opposition to Time Warner Cable’s new plan to restructure how they charge internet customers.  Their new fee structure would be based on how much customers download from the internet, and would result in huge fee increases for many local customers.   Time Warner is rolling this new plan out in several test markets around the country, including right here in the 29th Congressional District, where they have a near-monopoly on internet access.

I stand firmly opposed to this unfair and disproportionate fee increase, and will be moving swiftly to enact legislation designed prevent this ill-conceived plan.  The Massa Broadband Fairness act will prohibit this unfair tiered price structure from internet providers.  At a time when information is vitally important to our global economy, Time Warner Cable wants to charge more for access to information on the internet.  This is a guaranteed mechanism to kill jobs and stifle the economic recovery that we so desperately need.  While I believe in a business’s right to maximize their profit potential, I believe that safeguards need to be put in place when a business has a monopoly on a specific region.  I will fight these unnecessary burdens being place on my constituents, and work to keep access to information available to all.  I believe that this will help create a more vibrant and diverse business community, and will ensure that our schools and colleges continue to lead the nation.

Thank you for all that you do.

Warmest Regards,

Eric Massa

Eric Massa
Commander US Navy (ret.)

Those interested in contacting Congressman Massa’s office to thank him for his efforts are encouraged to call one of the district offices:

Washington DC Office
1208 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3161
Fax: (202) 226-6599

Corning District Office
89 W. Market Street
Corning, NY 14830
Phone: (607) 654-7566
Fax: (607) 654-7568

Olean Office
317 North Union Street
Olean, NY 14760
Phone: (716) 372-2090
Fax: (716) 372-2869

Pittsford District Office
1 Grove St
Suite 101
Pittsford, NY 14534
Phone: (585) 218-0040
Fax: (585) 218-0053

Congressman Massa is holding his second town hall meeting in the district tonight.  WROC-TV is rumored to be there, so if you are passionate on this issue, and you can go, please do so.  I cannot be there tonight, but by now you guys know what needs to be said.  This may also be the first opportunity to learn about the new legislation he is proposing.  Feel free to report back on the meeting and any links to any uploaded video and we’ll get them up over the weekend.

Friday, 4/10/09 7:30-9:00 pm
Henrietta Fire Dept Training Center
60 Erie Station Road Extension (corner of E. River Road)
Henrietta, NY 14586

Congressman Eric Massa to introduce legislation designed to prevent Job Killing Broadband Internet Caps; Freshman Congressman will fight to prevent high priced burden on families

Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY)

CORNING, NY – Today Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) announced officially that he is drafting legislation designed to prevent job killing broadband internet downloading caps. The Massa Broadband Internet Fairness Act would prohibit unfair tiered price structures from internet providers. The bill will also address the importance of helping broadband providers create jobs and increase their bandwidth while increasing competition in areas currently served by only one provider.

“I am taking a leadership position on this issue because of all the phone calls, emails and faxes I’ve received from my district and all over the country,” said Congressman Eric Massa. “Time Warner has announced an ill-conceived plan to charge residential and business broadband fees based on the amount of data they download. They have yet to explain how increased internet usage increases their costs.”

Regarding Time Warner’s 4/9/09 statement, Rep. Massa had this to say:

“Time Warner’s decision has the potential to more than triple customers’ current rates and I think most families will find this to be too taxing to afford. Time Warner believes they can do this in Rochester NY, Greensboro NC, Austin TX and San Antonio TX, and it’s almost certainly just a matter of time before they attempt to overcharge all of their customers. And while I favor a business’s right to maximize their profit potential, I believe safeguards must be put in place when a business has a monopoly on a specific region.”

“At a time when millions of Americans have lost their jobs and businesses are struggling, I am compelled to fight against additional, unnecessary burdens placed on my constituents.”

In the past week, there has been a significant uproar in the Rochester, NY area regarding Time Warner’s announcement that they will “test market” a plan to charge customers based on how much they download. The initial proposal was to introduce a 5, 10, 20, or 40 gb/month downloading cap. If customers went over the cap, they would start mounting additional fees.

Then today Time Warner announced a new tiered plan similar to the previous one. However, for a consumer to receive the same unlimited internet that they currently do for around $40 per month, they would be billed $150 per month under the new plan.

In addition to this excessive and disproportionate charge, as internet usage increases by an average of 50% per year, companies setting caps sets a horrible, long-term, precedent. At a time when Americans need to utilize all available assets to improve the economy, limiting internet usage, which this plan would do, handicaps our ability to compete on the global stage. Furthermore, it will have significant stifling effects on start ups and small businesses.

This would also have significant impacts on the agricultural, medical, and educational communities. Farmers are increasingly dependent upon constant exchanges of GPS information to control all aspects of their operations. Medical professionals are increasing their data transfer rates, and patients rely on their ability to continue doing so unimpeded. Finally, educational institutions use more bandwidth every year. In Western New York, students at RIT’s School for the Deaf, who use video transfer software to communicate, would be greatly disadvantaged by Time Warner’s proposal.

As soon as the drafting of the Broadband Internet Fairness Act is completed, it will become available.

Hat tip to Miguel who caught these comments on video from Wednesday’s meeting.  Thanks for doing this, and for holding up what I suppose is a cell phone for that long!  There are three segments.

Another series of town hall meetings you should try and attend to thank Congressman Massa for his efforts on our behalf:

Thursday, 4/09/09 6:30-8:00 pm
Pittsford Sutherland High School Auditorium
55 Sutherland St
Pittsford, NY 14534

-or-

Friday, 4/10/09 7:30-9:00 pm
Henrietta Fire Dept Training Center
60 Erie Station Road Extension (corner of E. River Road)
Henrietta, NY 14586