Is a cellphone a basic human right?

Iria · Jan 12, 2009, 09:44 PM

As the United States provides mobile phones to the poor, experts argue they are not a luxury.
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Source: TheStar

mike2h · Jan 13, 2009, 12:45 AM

they r a luxury. anybody that cant afford one shouldnt have one. geewiz, i wonder what lobyists representing what companies are behind that idiocy.
how did we ever survive before cell phones came around?

Judas · Jan 13, 2009, 12:48 AM

and when it comes to food..... anyone that can't afford it shouldn't have it? aka.. starve?

erm... not sure i can agree with that...

It's not a question of having the right to one, it's if it's right to even have one if you don't need it or don't use it.

mike2h · Jan 13, 2009, 01:29 AM

judas dont be obtuse. food does not = cell phone. u need food to live. u dont need a cell phone to live.
i have no idea what the rest of your post means. dont really care either so pls dont explain.

Zelig · Jan 13, 2009, 01:54 AM

I've got no problem with free cellphones for emergency use, no plan or minutes required.

mike2h · Jan 13, 2009, 04:07 AM

yep. recycled cell phones for 911 service is fine with me to. of course reg phones that have limtied service(think they call it lifeline) are available to. so not sure about the need for the cell to. aside from the fact that we r using tax money to fill more companies coffers.
then again that seems t obe the the function of our tax dollars anymore

IvanV · Jan 13, 2009, 12:50 PM

So... They're giving away phones that they'd otherwise have to carefully (and probably costly) dispose of? Now that's altruism!

Although I haven't seen the word "recycled" in that text. And it's not for emergency calls only either.

I really don't see much reason for this.

Mobile operators here (and that's not in the States, addmitedly, but I suppose things aren't worse there) often offer a very basic handset at a really low, almost no cost, that is locked to their network, even for new prepaid customers.

The choice of pre-paid is logical, but when it says that post-paid customers are often exposed to things such as hidden fees and incomprehensible packages, doesn't FCC think that it's not just a problem for the poor, but a thing it should do something about?

Also, when they say that: "... the fact it's the FCC doing this, not social services ... takes away the stigma of low-income people getting something for free.", where do they think that the FCC is getting their money from?!

And the comparison with African countries just doesn't hold water. As it has been said, they don't have the landline infrastructure in place, so that is a matter of connecting the remote parts of their countries to the rest, and they found it easier to provide mobile coverage then to lay cables through got knows what sorts of terrain.

Jan 12, 2009, 09:44 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Is a cellphone a basic human right? As the United States provides mobile phones to the poor, experts argue they are not a luxury. ____________ Source: TheStar

Jan 13, 2009, 12:45 AM	#2
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 89 System Specs	Re: Is a cellphone a basic human right? they r a luxury. anybody that cant afford one shouldnt have one. geewiz, i wonder what lobyists representing what companies are behind that idiocy. how did we ever survive before cell phones came around? __________________

Jan 13, 2009, 01:29 AM	#4
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 89 System Specs	Re: Is a cellphone a basic human right? judas dont be obtuse. food does not = cell phone. u need food to live. u dont need a cell phone to live. i have no idea what the rest of your post means. dont really care either so pls dont explain. __________________

Jan 13, 2009, 01:54 AM	#5
Zelig HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 3,187 Rep Power: 69 System Specs	Re: Is a cellphone a basic human right? I've got no problem with free cellphones for emergency use, no plan or minutes required. __________________ --

Jan 13, 2009, 04:07 AM	#6
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 89 System Specs	Re: Is a cellphone a basic human right? yep. recycled cell phones for 911 service is fine with me to. of course reg phones that have limtied service(think they call it lifeline) are available to. so not sure about the need for the cell to. aside from the fact that we r using tax money to fill more companies coffers. then again that seems t obe the the function of our tax dollars anymore __________________

Jan 13, 2009, 12:50 PM	#7
IvanV HH Assassin Guild Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 5,653 Rep Power: 280 System Specs	Re: Is a cellphone a basic human right? So... They're giving away phones that they'd otherwise have to carefully (and probably costly) dispose of? Now that's altruism! Although I haven't seen the word "recycled" in that text. And it's not for emergency calls only either. I really don't see much reason for this. Mobile operators here (and that's not in the States, addmitedly, but I suppose things aren't worse there) often offer a very basic handset at a really low, almost no cost, that is locked to their network, even for new prepaid customers. The choice of pre-paid is logical, but when it says that post-paid customers are often exposed to things such as hidden fees and incomprehensible packages, doesn't FCC think that it's not just a problem for the poor, but a thing it should do something about? Also, when they say that: "... the fact it's the FCC doing this, not social services ... takes away the stigma of low-income people getting something for free.", where do they think that the FCC is getting their money from?! And the comparison with African countries just doesn't hold water. As it has been said, they don't have the landline infrastructure in place, so that is a matter of connecting the remote parts of their countries to the rest, and they found it easier to provide mobile coverage then to lay cables through got knows what sorts of terrain. __________________ Our Folding@home stats: Last edited by IvanV; Jan 13, 2009 at 12:55 PM.