Over 3,500 Telecommunications Workers and Allies Call on Trump Administration to Ensure Reliable 911 Service and Safeguard the Future of Phone Service

In a public petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), telecommunications workers demand the agency update its oversight rules for the 21st century.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - As carriers phase out traditional phone service over copper wires, Americans risk losing public oversight of voice service altogether. To ensure reliable service for all and protect good, union jobs, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) submitted a public petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the agency to classify Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as a "common carrier" telecom service under Title II of the Communications Act. The petition was signed by over 3,500 people across the country, including nearly 1,700 telecommunications workers who are members of CWA.

While a majority of phone calls are now completed over the internet as opposed to traditional copper wire, the federal government still exercises oversight of those calls under legacy rules. As legacy networks are phased out, the federal government is set to lose this oversight authority and will be unable to require large providers to ensure service quality or to interconnect with other providers. The end result could be large gaps in vital services, including emergency 911 calls.

"There have been many changes since I first started working in the telecommunications industry decades ago. But what hasn't changed in over two decades is how the FCC regulates phone service over the internet," said Claude Cummings Jr., President of the Communications Workers of America. "CWA is dedicated to reversing decades of deregulation and achieving democratic oversight of the communications networks of the 21st century. Classifying VoIP as a common carrier is a key part of that strategy."

"As a worker in the telecommunications industry, I've seen firsthand how the lack of federal oversight on VoIP impacts my community, for example, the increased risk of outages," said CWA Maryland State Broadband Lead Marcus Chambers. "My neighbors don't understand the risks when their phone service over VoIP is not regulated like a traditional connection. They just expect that their phone will work if they need to call 911 or make another vital call. It's time for the FCC to take action so that phone calls over the internet are regulated in the same way as phone calls placed over traditional copper wire."

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion