Who is a "Customer"?
Our definition of "customer" is broad and includes anyone who uses the local Bell monopoly phone networks. It includes residential and business customers, as well as the competitive local service carrier businesses (CLECs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that depend on the local telephone company's wholesale services.

Who is on Teletruth's Board of Advisors?
Teletruth advisory board is made up volunteers who have worked in and reported on the industry and independent parties interested in protecting the public rights and expanding competition in local and broadband services. Some advisors, because they may be the targets of corporate retribution, have chosen to be undisclosed, silent partners in this enterprise. TeleTruth is a non-partisan association with no links or agenda connected to any phone company, association or either political party. To see the public board of advisors, go to: http://teletruth.org/About/boa.html

Why Launch Teletruth Now?
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, the current law of the land, was created to open the local phone networks to competition that would lower prices and bring in broadband services. Unfortunately, the Bell monopolies have a stranglehold on the entire local phone networks. They own the copper wiring into America's home and offices, even though customers paid for these services 10 fold. The Bell companies have essentially been able to block competition and, instead, prices have gone up and the 'broadband' future turned out to be mostly a nightmare. And it will only get worse if customers do not get involved to stop the Bell monopolists' control broadband over the public telephone system.

What are Teletruth's Current Activities:

• On Protecting Customers' Phonebills, Teletruth has launched the "Send Us Your Phonebill" campaign for New Jersey Verizon customers to recover overcharges and document billing problems. This information will be used as evidence against Verizon's entrance into Long Distance.
• On the Legislative Front, Teletruth has proposed "The Broadband Bill of Rights", a piece of legislation that, if enacted, would help remedy many of the problems all classes of customers have had with the retail and wholesale broadband service offerings provided by the Bell telephone monopolies.
• On the Legislative Front, Teletruth has and continues to oppose the Bell-financed bill commonly called "Tauzin-Dingell that would harm competitors and customers alike. Pushed by Congressmen Tauzin of Louisiana and Dingell of Michigan, this piece of legislation would undermine key pro-competition reforms.
• On Lowering Prices, Teletruth with New Networks Institute, filed a petition to the FCC to block a recent rate increase or drop the FCC Subscriber Line Charge all together, saving every household $60 a year minimum and businesses would save hundreds of dollars a month.
• On Lowering Prices, Teletruth (with New Networks Institute) has filed a $2.5 billion dollar complaint with the New York State Attorney General's office to investigate Verizon-New York's' deductions for "vaporware" --- equipment costs unaccounted for that have been included in service prices and charged to customers.
• On Lowering Prices, Teletruth (with New Networks Institute) has submitted claims of improper Bell Company tax deductions with the IRS that are now under investigation and should lead to lower local service prices. To date, TeleTruth has active claims totaling $15 billion dollars.

How is Teletruth Different From Other Consumer Groups?" a.k.a. "Astroturf Groups"-
Many so-called "consumer groups" are nothing more industry-organized and funded interest groups masquerading as genuine consumer friendly organizations. They are dedicated to moving a company's political and policy agenda--- and the local Bell companies have a long and distinguished record of successfully fooling the public and media in this area.

Today, there is no genuine national 'customer' alliance focused on competitive local and broadband service issues. TeleTruth seeks to defend ALL customers, from the residential user and small business, from those who purchase service on a retail basis to those who purchase or lease Bell wholesale networks and services, from the Internet Providers to the Competitive Local Phone Companies. Teletruth believes it is the only alliance serving the full range of customer interests.

Contributions are Welcome. But Membership is Free.
Any donation you make supports an number of important activities, from of the creation of the newsletter and ongoing research to combat bad data supplied by the Bell companies' organization, to on-going press and lobbying efforts in Washington and other states, working with law firms for filings and complaints, as well as continuous grass-roots building activities. And though we can not compete in spending with against the Bell companies, but instead, we can through volunteers and independent grass roots to make changes in the laws and make people aware of the issues.

A great deal of Teletruth is donated services including our web-site hosting, the web design and upgrades, a great deal of the research and analysis, legal and accounting services, and phonebill auditing services.

Teletruth is a for-profit company, with all of the money going directly to pay for the on-going efforts. This is unlike many of the Bell funded groups that are "non-profit", even though they are functionally lobbying firms that should be paying their fair share of taxes.

Who is New Networks Institute?
New Networks Institute helped to found TeleTruth and supplies continuous critical information and analysis, as well as manages the TeleTruth activities. New Networks Institute was founded in 1992 by the respected telecom analyst Bruce Kushnick and it has been a leading broadband and telecom research and consulting firm focusing on Public Interest. NNI has published numerous research reports, worked with law firms to take class action suits, and has filed numerous complaints with various state agencies, the FCC, as well as the IRS. See their website http://www.newnetworks.com, which also has the research bibliography, etc.

Who Are the Local Bell Monopolies?
In 1984, AT&T was broken up because of it's monopoly control over US telecommunications. Seven very large companies were created, sometimes called "Baby Bells" or RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies)---- Ameritech, BellSouth, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell, and US West. Since that time, these companies have married their siblings and today, only 4 companies remain BellSouth, SBC (Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Ameritech) Verizon, (Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, GTE) and Qwest (US West) For a complete history of the breakup and other materials about the Bell companies see: http://www.teletruth.org/History/bbells/bb_history.html

What About AT&T, MCI and Sprint?
AT&T, MCI and Sprint are the best known "Long Distance" companies. The price for Long Distance calls has dropped some 60% since the Bell companies came into being. Conversely, local phone services increased about 275% since the Bells took over. The difference is that phonebills are so indecipherable how would you ever know what happened to your phonebill. Therefore, the local companies have been the ones who have harmed the American public, and they stand in the way of competition and broadband services. However, we will make sure that Long Distance issues are addressed when these companies do illegal acts.