How consumers' groups aim to shape telecom policy | Part 2

(Part 2 of 4)

Along with Consumers Union profiled in part one of this series, another long-standing consumer group that is involved in telecom as well as a range of other issues is the Consumer Federation of America. Now in its forty-second year, the organization was founded to represent state and local consumer groups at the federal level.

Founders, explained CFA Research Director Mark Cooper, "realized that a lot of policies that affect the consumer are set in Washington—we're usually invited to a state to help on an important issue, and we frequently get members to sign on to comments to the FCC."

CFA attempts to influence policy in a variety of ways, Cooper said. "We file comments, issue research, talk to the press, write letters to Capitol Hill and testify a lot," he said.

When it comes to telecom policy matters, however, Cooper appears to be using the royal "we."

"I'm the telecom staff," he said.

In the mid-eighties, CFA played a big role in shaping the Lifeline and Linkup programs that use Universal Service funding to support the costs of telephone service for low-income consumers. "We did the research that created the programs," Cooper said.

Today, CFA is "very active" in supporting net neutrality efforts, Cooper said. "The open character of the Internet is its essential feature and preserving it is critical," he said.  CFA fought hard to get the four principles of net neutrality into several policy rulings. Those principles attempt to achieve what some refer to as an "open Internet" by asserting, for example, that consumers should be able to attach any device to the network.

"We want a fifth principle to say that the first four are enforceable," Cooper said.

CFA membership has remained quite stable, for decades running in the range of 250 to 300 member organizations, including some rural cooperatives. Reflecting its membership, Cooper said, "We're pushing hard to get broadband stimulus to the maximum number of people."

In making decisions about who should receive stimulus funding, Cooper said, "Our idea is we wanted it to be least-cost and technologically neutral."

The organization's stand on various issues is worked out through specialized committees and ultimately leads to a 150-page policy book that is updated yearly. "We have an annual convention to decide what should be our position," Cooper explained. Each member organization gets one vote in that process.

The organization is funded through member dues, grants from foundations and revenues collected from events such as conferences and awards dinners.

Next: Free Press and DPI.