The Cell Phone

A Long time ago we had these two executives from Motorola come to our disability meeting at the Schaumburg township in Illinois where I live. They wanted to know our opinion about this new thing called the cell phone. We all said "Yes it would be great to have a cell phone but we can't afford the monthly phone charges." I told them about my recent troubles about when my car broke down on the interstate on my way to the V A hospital. I told them, "The price of the phones are not the problem it's the yearly contract fees that we can't afford. Why don't they have a deal where the phone company would give us so many minutes each month for free so that we could use the phone in case of emergencies? Being disabled it would have been great to have a cell phone to be able to call for help." The two executives turned and looked at each other if like a light bulb went on in their heads. I don't think they ever thought of that idea. Well sometime later after that meeting they came out with the free 911 phone calls that you can now make on your cell phone.  That was a god send for the people who couldn't afford the cell phone charges.

 I still didn't have the money to buy a cell phone so I went without one for some time. After my heart attack my son gave me his old cell phone so I could use it to call 911 in case I got in trouble. Then came along the cell phone I have now. It's a cheap pay-as-you-go phone. I don't call very many people and I only have to put $20 on it every 3 months. I have gotten so use to carrying it now that I wouldn't be without it. It gives me that sense of security when I go out in case something happens to me.

Later on in our disability meeting, I found out that if you qualify you can get a free phone and they give you so many minutes each month and it doesn't cost anything. Now everybody in our disability meeting has a cell phone. It took a while but I'm glad that everybody has one. You never know when an emergency will arise.  


The following are "topical remarks" issued by the White House upon President Clinton's signing of S.B. 800, which designated 911 as the nationwide emergency number, and provides liability protection for wireless carriers who handle 911 calls. The bill was introduced in the 106th Congress by Sen. Conrad Burns on April 14, 1999, and was signed into law by President Clinton as Public Law 106-81.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release
October 26, 1999
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today I am pleased to sign into law the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999. By making it easier to use wireless phones to report emergencies, this bill could save thousands of lives every year. Nearly 100,000 times each day, someone uses a wireless phone to make an emergency call. People with wireless phones can speed the delivery of public safety services by providing rapid reports of car crashes, incidents of aggressive or drunk driving, serious crimes, and natural disasters. Getting rapid care to someone who is suffering from a heart attack or is involved a car crash can mean the difference between life and death. The legislation I am signing today will improve emergency wireless communications in several ways. First, it will make 9-1-1 the universal emergency telephone number for wireless and "wireline" telephones across the United States. Currently, there are 20 different emergency wireless numbers in different states. Second, it will encourage statewide coordination of the efforts of public safety and law enforcement officials to protect our citizens and save lives. Finally, it will increase private sector investment in emergency wireless services by providing wireless companies with the same level of liability protection that "wireline" telecommunications companies have.

I want to thank members of Congress, the wireless industry, public safety officials, and medical professionals who worked together to pass this important legislation.