NORTHWEST ALABAMA-When you pay your telephone bill (cell or landline) you pay a $1.50/month into what’s called Universal Service Fund. This fund was created to make money available to providers to fund improvements in communications to their customers. It was originally used to run the copper telephone lines that were attached to the poles to our homes and businesses. Today this money may be used to construct cell phone towers to serve areas that do not have cell phone service.
The FCC publishes maps for each state that clearly shows the areas that do not have cell phone service. For example, according to the map Colbert County has complete cell phone coverage except for one small area located near the Franklin County line. We all know that this is not true but what we know is not important. We have to disprove the map. When I travel Highway 247 I have almost no cell phone service the entire trip.
Even though the FCC maps are inaccurate they are considered factual in providing the funding to the providers for the construction of new cell phone towers. The area on Highway 247 would not qualify for a grant to construct a new cell phone tower because the map clearly says that this area is already served.
Between now and November 26, 2018 we have an opportunity to correct these maps by proving to FCC that the maps are incorrect. Recently I visited Brandon Presley, Chairman of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, at his office in Nettleton, Ms. When I arrived I found that his entire staff was extremely busy working on a project that was designed to disprove the FCC maps for northern Mississippi.
Commissioner Brandon Presley has agreed to attend a meeting on September 5, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. to explain the procedure that we must follow if we want new cell phone coverage in Northwest Alabama. The site for this meeting will be the Round House, 204 W. 5th Street,
Tuscumbia, Al. I want to encourage volunteer fire department and rescue squad members, law enforcement officials, ALFA board members, education leaders, county commissioners, other elected officials, county cooperative extension employees, other public officials and employees and concerned citizens of Northwest Alabama to attend this extremely important meeting.
The deadline for getting all the information to FCC is November 26, 2018. We must mobilize immediately if we are to meet this deadline!
Media Release/Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow
