A federal court issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday prohibiting Georgia utility regulators from charging low-income residents $5 a month for basic cellphones.
The order by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia marked a victory for wireless phone companies that sued the Georgia Public Service Commission following a 3-2 PSC vote in October to levy the monthly charge starting Jan. 31 on participants in the federal Lifeline program.
Commissioner Doug Everett, who brought the proposal to the PSC, said charging a monthly fee would discourage waste, fraud and abuse in the program.
But opponents, including consumer advocates, said the policy would deprive the poorest Georgians of the ability to contact emergency services.
via Federal court blocks Georgia fee on ‘free’ cellphones – Atlanta Business Chronicle.
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