Building a Winning Coalition for Sensible Regulation

Situation:

Wireless carriers were facing calls for increased taxes and regulation in states around the country.  New York was a battleground state, with state legislators and advocacy groups promoting new regulations that would raise cell phone taxes and create costly regulatory requirements for service providers, which in turn would lead to increased fees for businesses and consumers.

Solution:

We worked with Mywireless.org, the industry association for wireless providers and customers, to identify local business, labor and community groups who needed access to cost competitive wireless service and were opposed to higher taxes and costs.  These groups were mobilized for letter writing campaigns to key legislators and to testify in opposition to new taxes at hearings on the proposed legislation. We publicized results of a survey of New York consumers that demonstrated intense opposition to increased cell phone taxes, and told the industry’s story of positive steps taken to improve customer service and choice.

Results:

Mywireless.org was able to neutralize efforts to add costly regulations to wireless services within New York State.   Legislation advocating new rules has not advanced for three consecutive years.