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Are Cell Phones a Right?
By Mark Evans | January 11, 2009
Are cell phones a right or a privilege?
An article in yesterday’s Toronto Star puts the spotlight on the question of whether people who can’t afford a wireless device should have one as a basic service.
The pro-argument is people in a lower social-economic group should have a wireless device so they have the ability to communicate and be economically engaged.
“A telephone service, just in general, is not a privilege, it’s a right, and we fell it’s a corporate responsibility to provide it,” said Jose Fuentes, director of government relations with TracFone, which is the driving force behind the SafeLink program that eligible people with a free cell phone and 68 minutes a month of free service.
I find it hard to buy into the idea that wireless service is something that every citizen should have. I’m not trying to be cold-hearted but shouldn’t health-care, food and basic housing be higher priorities.
If anything, there should be free basic telephone service (wireline) to people who can’t afford home or wireless service. This free service should come with voice-mail so people can retrieve messages. You could make the same argument for Internet access. There’s no doubt there should be places where people can go online at no cost but free residential service doesn’t have to happen.
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Topics: Wireless |