In 1992 New Networks Institute, (NNI) was created to investigate, on a totally independent impartial basis, how the break-up of AT&T and the the creation of Baby Bells had impacted subscribers. Working with Probe Research we created the “10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Information Age” a massive, multi-volume project with multiple consumer surveys (conducted by Fairfield Research).
That was 20 years ago.
New Networks is independently funded through research and consulting, expert witness work, and other projects as well as the sales of books and research reports.
Executive Director, New Networks Institute
Chairman, Teletruth
Since that time we have been working with other experts, phone bill auditors, lawyers and customers and in 2002 help found Teletruth, a nationwide customer alliance to protect the rights of customers. We have helped to initiate and successfully complete numerous Class Action suits in specific states, filed comments and complaints with the FCC, IRS, and other government agencies in the hopes of creating change that benefit the telephone customer. We even have our own web pages at the FCC pertaining to Data Quality Act Complaints.
Over the last decade we worked with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy on a forum for small telephone competitors, helped to draft proposed legislation, the Broadband Bill of Rights’, and worked with UCAN, a california consumer advocacy group in 2004 and 2008 to survey telephone users, funded by grants from the California Consumer Protection Fund.
Teletruth was a member of the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee, until we were asked to leave after we got the Washington Post to out the various corporate-funded groups and corporations on the ‘Consumer Committee.’