Regulators pressured on text message rights

Public-interest groups reiterated their call for federal regulators to protect text messaging rights, framing the issue with far-reaching implication for free speech, disability access and competition in the wireless industry.
Public Knowledge and other organizations want the Federal Communications Commission to rule that mobile-phone carriers cannot interfere with text messages, including those provided via short codes, based on content or source so long as such transmissions are legal.
“The problem is real and current; carriers are discriminating against competitors and claiming the right to exert broad editorial control over text messages, especially those addressed to or from short codes,” said Jef Pearlman, a Public Knowledge attorney. “As has been demonstrated with new communications media in the past, empowering consumers and ensuring the inability of the carriers to discriminate based on content is the best way to protect users both from unwanted communications and from the control of a small set of corporate interests.”
The FCC has begun to receive a new round of public comments on the issue.
“If mobile carriers can dictate the content of text messages on reproductive freedoms, as Verizon [Wireless] attempted to do with NARAL, they can do so on any other matter, and our ability to talk with one another, to campaign, to challenge orthodoxy, to bring new and unpopular ideas to public attention, to protect minority views, all these will be subject to the ultimate control of Verizon, or Cablevision, or any of the few national corporations that dominate telecommunications,” stated New York Assemblymember Richard Brodsky (D), chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions.
Last year, NARAL Pro-Choice America became angered with Verizon Wireless after the carrier initially rejected its application for a short code it sought to blast wireless alerts to supporters. After the controversy gained national media attention, Verizon Wireless reversed course and gave the abortion-rights organization access to its network.
Rebtel, a Voice over Internet Protocol firm that offers low-cost international calling on mobile phones, also has complained about being turned down by Verizon Wireless, Alltel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. in its requests for short code-enabled text messaging rights.
Mobile-phone operators insist they do not block text messages between wireless consumers, while noting they employ filtering only to ward off unwanted and costly spam. The carriers said their short code policies are designed to protect subscribers from offensive, abusive or fraudulent material, though at least one national wireless operator says it withholds assignment of short codes for competition reasons.