As the fight to protect your Internet rights rages before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee is preparing to hold a hearing on “ground rules for the Internet,” which could lead to anti-net neutrality laws backed by big Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like…...
Is home phone service really getting better?
In its push to eventually end landlines in Illinois, AT&T has promised that home phone service isn’t going away, it’s getting better. There are plenty of Illinois consumers who, along with CUB, dispute that. CUB did an analysis of AT&T’s phone options: Landlines: Pros: Landlines are reliable and, at around $20 or…...
Protect solar power—Oppose a tariff
We want to alert you about an important issue that could have a devastating impact on our efforts to fight for a more reliable and affordable power grid. Here’s a quick summary: A case before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)—a federal agency that provides trade expertise to the White…...
Your donation is twice as powerful for a limited time!
Today is a great day to join the fight against $8 billion in higher bills. Today, your donation is twice as powerful, twice as helpful! A generous CUB donor—somebody who has been one of our biggest supporters over the last few years—has agreed to match donations. He wants to do this for you—because he doesn’t want…...
Why we care about energy efficiency
Our recently-finished quarterly newsletter, The CUB Voice, is our “green” issue, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Some of our leaders in Washington want to defund Energy Star, an efficiency program that has cut business and residential utility bills by $430 billion since its inception in 1992.…...
6 reasons AT&T’s legislation should make you MAD
1) Utilities get an exemption: The legislation contains a four- to five-year exemption for key customers, such as utilities. It proves copper landlines still play a key role—and it also begs the question: If it’s so important to protect landline service for those customers, then why not for the millions…...
AT&T: Consumer’s Choice plans end Nov. 17
What happened? In a letter sent to consumers, AT&T announced that as of Nov. 17, 2017, the company’s Consumer’s Choice plans, Illinois’ best local phone deals, will end. Why is this happening? In July, the Illinois General Assembly passed a rewrite of the state Telecommunications Act that eliminated the requirement…...
What do you need to know about the upcoming solar eclipse?
What’s happening? On Monday, Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse will pass over the continental U.S. for the first time since 1979—and a 70-mile swath of Southern Illinois (including Carbondale, Carterville, Makanda and Waterloo) will be among the nation’s best places to see it. In fact, the Makanda area will…...
