IMPORTANT- This petition will NOT be effective without address information. When signing, please provide your address and subdivision (if applicable) in the comments section in the following format:

Address:

Subdivision: Strowd Mountain

The Problem:

Neither TWC, AT&T, Randolph Telephone or Century Link offer high speed internet services in our community, despite claims to the contrary

AT&T misrepresents the availability of services to potential subscribers, stating that they offer • This petition is an appeal to bring fiber optic broadband to all regions of Chatham County, NC. It directly references AT&T where it is the incumbent provider in Pittsboro, but the goal is the same - file a petition to get the attention of all ISPs in the area (ATT, Century Link, Randolph Communications, Century Link, TWC), Chatham County and the FCC.

Government officials are using tax dollars and contributions from ISPs to fight against net neutrality and municipal broadband. ISPs can't have it both ways. They can't deny us from high speed internet if they are the only telecom provider allowed by law to give it us and at the same time, say we can't build our infrastructure.

This petition is an appeal to bring fiber optic broadband to all regions of Chatham County, NC. It directly references AT&T where it is the incumbent provider in Pittsboro,but the goal is the same - file a petition to get the attention of all ISPs in the area (ATT, Century Link, Randolph Communications, Century Link, TWC), Chatham County and the FCC.

AT&T remains the only land-based internet provider in our area and they falsely advertise speeds unavailable to many in our community. Many residents are also being denied service
due to capacity overages. Even if the advertised speeds were available, they are inadequate in today's society.

Many of us are forced to spend close to $400 or more a month on limited data plans through mobile hotspots, making it impossible or unaffordable to do things much of America has grown accustomed to: telecommuting, cloud recorded home security,skyping with distant family, school assignments, research, streaming video etc.

Despite complaints, AT&T is unwilling to invest money to install fiber lines in this area citing high costs. They refuse to share information related to plans for much of this area, stating "that's competitive information." When one resident indicated that we were trying to work out a package with TWC since they refuse to help, they threatened him saying he would not be allowed to return as a customer if we initiated construction with TWC.

One of our last options for better service is to try and utilize Connect America funding;
this public fund is available to communities who receive less than 3mbps (like
us) and would subsidize a company (like AT&T) to improve or extend its
infrastructure, thus bringing our area up to modern expectations of decent
speed.

Unfortunately, the Connect America map currently and incorrectly reports that our area gets over 3mbps because of the skewed size of the census blocks.
Therefore, we cannot utilize the $500 million in public funds Connect America has set aside in Phase 2 for communities like ours. Even if it were allocated, we would still be dependent on AT&T who has made no indication they intend on supporting and upgrading this region.

If you are a tax payer, you are paying into the Universal Service Fund, which is allocated to Connect America. This means most of us are paying for something that should be available to our community, but it due to the mismanaged census block reporting.

In order to have the FCC and Connect America look into this issue, correct this mistake, allow our community to utilize Connect America funds, & ultimately, get better internet service that is on par with what other desirable communities offer, we need to petition AT&T, Chatham County and the FCC. That doesn't mean one person from each household. It means everyone who uses the Internet.

·

Fill out the required fields with the following information:

o Subject – write in "Inadequate internet speed and misrepresented service options"

o Description of Complaint – (see below)

o Internet Issues – select "Speed"

o Internet Method – select "DSL"

o Company Name – select "AT&T"

In the box for Description of Complaint, describe the issue in your own words inclusive of your own frustrations:

2. E-mail the same complaint directly to FCC executives –

Copy this: [email protected] ; [email protected]; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; Mike.O'[email protected]·

Chairman Tom Wheeler: [email protected]

Commissioner Mignon Clyburn:
[email protected]

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel:
[email protected]·

Commissioner Ajit Pai: [email protected]·

Commissioner Michael O'Rielly:
Mike.O'[email protected]

3. You may also write our senators and Marsha Blackburn:·

Richard Burr: http://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email

Thom Tillis: http://www.tillis.senate.gov/content/contact-thom

Marhsa Blackburn: https://www.facebook.com/marshablackburn?_rdr

4. OPTIONAL: File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission

Because ATT knowingly advertises 3-6mbps options to our addresses that are not available and some of us have made life decisions based on this misrepresentation, an FTC complaint is warranted. The more complaints we file across agencies involving multiple branches of government, the greater our chances are of being noticed.

Go to: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1....

Select Internet Services, Online Shopping or Computers

Select Internet Services·

Select Internet Service Provider

Select Other/Not applicable

Select Other and Continue·

Skip Steps 1 and 2 and fill out information for 3-6.

o Company Details

o Your information

o Comments·

Submit

5. Some of us would not have purchased a house here if we weren't misled by ATT's online offering and in service inquiry calls. As a result, we will be inquiring what viability there is in a class action lawsuit seeking damages and/or infrastructure. If you are interested in the class action, write (CLASS ACTION) along with your signature.

Chatham County's website notes quality of life, education and resources for businesses all as reasons to live here. Lack of quality internet service negatively impacts each of these areas. From the residents in our community who are remote employees and unable to do their jobs, to the families who children can't complete online learning modules and homework assignments, the negative impact on Chatham County residents is vast.