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Thursday, January 29, 2009

City: TracFone's problems its own fault

Doug Oliver, spokesman for Mayor Nutter, says it's TracFone's fault that Philadelphia won't let it give out federally-subsidized free cell phones in the city: (See previous PhillyDeals item.)

"We support the idea of giving lower-income Philadelphians better access to emergency services by providing free cell phones," Oliver wrote.

"However, TracFone has been unwilling to rigorously test their phones' ability to access emergency services regardless of their activation status as required by the FCC to be eligible to receive a government subsidy.

"Without that reassurance, it would be irresponsible for the City to certify these phones' ability to access emergency services. Our first responsibility is to the safety of Philadelphians. They deserve phones that can reliably reach 911 in case of emergency and TracFone has not yet proven to us that their phones can do so."

And no, Philadelphia doesn't care that TracFone is good enough for New York, Atlanta or Pittsburgh. We want to test them here.

Off the record, another city official says TracFone has lately relented and allowed the city to test its phones. Which makes it a little wierd that TracFone took this moment to take the fight public. But we're glad they did. We hate it when this stuff happens in the dark.

I didn't know: TracFone is an arm of Mexico phone monopolist Carlos Slim-Helu's investment empire. He's also a big shareholder in the New York Times, among other companies... Telecom and attempted monopoly are kind of a natural, unhealthy combination. We're glad there's mobile-phone competition, in this country, at least..



   
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 8:11 PM  Permalink | 4 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:00 PM, 01/29/2009
    why is it a right to have a cell phone? welcome to the USSA
    — give me liberty or death
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:31 PM, 01/29/2009
    use your free septa pass to go to the welfare office to pick up your check, food stamps and cell phone. i think thomas jefferson said it best, "it is our inalienable right to get free Nikes." thanks, myspace.com/dannyozark
    — danny ozark
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:57 AM, 01/30/2009
    So do these phones only dial 911?
    — Adam Lang
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:38 AM, 01/30/2009
    they come with 59 minutes and TracFone hopes that people will eventually buy more minutes.
    — pdditty


4 comments
About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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