March 28, 2008
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 Anna Gustafson
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Senate Update
by
Senator James J. Rhoades

With more consumers choosing to own a cell phone, lost or dropped calls are becoming a growing problem. While dropped calls are usually little more than a nuisance, a lost call can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. It is important to ensure that cell phone users have adequate coverage and minimal lost calls, especially in rural areas where coverage is generally not as reliable as in urban areas.

I have introduced a resolution that would help improve coverage and hold cell phone providers accountable for lost calls. Senate Resolution 206, which was approved by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee earlier this month, would require the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to study the improvement of telecommunications coverage in the cell phone industry.

This study should be a valuable asset for both providers and policymakers. While the General Assembly cannot mandate wireless coverage, the legislation will provide additional information and recommendations for wireless carriers to improve their coverage.

The resolution would also direct the LBFC to develop policies that encourage wireless carriers to improve coverage throughout Pennsylvania to reduce dropped or lost wireless calls, with particular attention to underserved rural areas that do not have a strong wireless communication network. There are a number of areas in rural Pennsylvania that have gaps in coverage, and these gaps are one of the common causes of dropped calls. Expanding wireless coverage to reduce or eliminate these gaps will be one of the goals of the study.

If approved by the full Senate, SR 206 would require the LBFC to submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by June 1 of this year. Improving coverage and reliability will benefit all Pennsylvania wireless customers, and I am hopeful that this study will lead to important changes in the wireless industry to help reduce or prevent dropped calls.
 

Senator Rhoades represents the 29th Senatorial District, which includes all of Schuylkill County and parts of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton Counties.