Rebtel Supports Text Messaging Petition for Declaratory Ruling by FCC
Stockholm, Sweden (PRWEB) December 12, 2007 -- Rebtel, the people's global communications company, today announced its support of a petition for declaratory ruling by the Federal Communications Commission that refusing to provision a short code to a customer is unjust and unreasonable discrimination, and violates the law.
Filed today by leading public interest groups Public Knowledge, Free Press and Mobile Commons, the petition cites U.S. carriers' refusal to issue short codes to Rebtel as an example of how Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Alltel have taken advantage of a perceived regulatory hole to discriminate against political speakers and competitors.
Rebtel is a mobile phone service that allows users to call any phone, anywhere in the world, for just pennies per minute. Its services can be used with any mobile phone without modification or software downloads. There is no charge to set up a Rebtel account. No monthly fees, no connection fees and no hidden costs. All new comers get a free 10 minute call to test the service. Thereafter, subscribers only pay for the minutes they use. Smart Calls between the 40 counties served by Rebtel are always free and only one of the two people on a call have to be a Rebtel subscriber.
"We've said from the start that rejecting our short code campaign was anti-competitive abuse of power - just like the rejection of NARAL Pro-Choice America's text messages to supporters was interference with political speech," said Hjalmar Winbladh, Rebtel co-founder and CEO. "We totally agree that the FCC needs to rule on this issue."
Short codes are five- or six-digit numbers used on a mobile phone to connect to someone or something instead of dialing an entire phone number. Many millions of Americans have used short codes to vote for their favorite American Idol, for example.
Rebtel wants short codes to give its customers a fast and easy way to use its services for making low-cost or free international calls. But to get short codes, companies and organizations must apply to each carrier for a campaign, which Rebtel did through its U.S. service provider, mBlox.
Sprint and AT&T have approved Rebtel's short code campaign application. Verizon, Alltel, and T-Mobile, an investor in Rebtel competitor Jajah, however, all denied the application.
About Rebtel:
Rebtel is a global communications company for individuals, small business professionals and cord-cutters inside large companies, who regularly call international suppliers, customers, partners, their workforce, or friends and family abroad. Unlike the large mobile telecom carriers that charge exorbitant rates for international calls, Rebtel offers consumers ultra-low rates for global calling by making all calls local and leveraging VoIP technologies. For more information, or to start using Rebtel services, go to www.rebtel.com.
Media Inquiries:
Matt Marquess
Spark PR
Tel: +1 415 321 1874 or +1 415 902 1489
Linda Elvelin
Rebtel
Tel: + 46 8 519 06 102 or +46 704 61 5169
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