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CUB Connects Introduces New Workshop Series

Throughout this year, we’ve ramped up our efforts to inform CUB members, and also the community at large, about changes in the telecommunications world. As a part of this ongoing effort, we’re launching a new workshop series at Free Geek to help consumers better understand their phone and internet plans, and then seek official recourse should the service(s) fall short of expectations. Our first class will focus on the topic of “Demystifying Phone and Internet Bills”. The class is free, from 11:00am – 12:00pm on September 26 at Free Geek in inner SE Portland, and we hope you will join us! (Sign-up is available through the Free Geek website.)

Our efforts to shed light on important telecommunication issues began in February when we demystified the debate over net neutrality; we later introduced the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) landmark Open Internet Order. Shortly thereafter, we laid out modernizing updates to the federal Lifeline program. And just last month, we carefully unpacked the separate FCC and Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) consumer complaint processes. In short, with so many changes to the telecom landscape this year, we’ve been here every step of the way to separate fact from falsehood, calculation from conjecture.

All this work ultimately circles back to our CUB Connects program. The program launched in 2011 with funding from a settlement with Qwest (now doing business as CenturyLink). The mission of CUB Connects is to provide Oregon phone and internet customers with the appropriate tools and resources to educate themselves and their families about current risks and opportunities in the industry – thereby helping them to choose the services that meet their specific needs.

In our experience, an important resource to which folks must have access to make sound consumer decisions is free community education. Our goal for this new run of workshops is to help consumers do just that – make sound decisions based on the best available information. In addition to “Demystifying Phone and Internet Bills”, workshops through the end of the year will cover topics such as choosing the right phone and internet service, avoiding costly scams, and safeguarding against privacy breaches.

When we were putting together this series, Free Geek emerged as an obvious choice for a partner to host the workshops. Founded in 2000, Free Geek maintains a robust free community education program focusing on technology topics ranging from using Linux and Command Line to exploring 3D printers and establishing a business online. We are excited to be partnering with Free Geek on this project, and encourage you to check out their other classes, as well as their electronics recycling and volunteer programs.

Again, our first workshop of the series is on Saturday, September 26 from 11:00am - 12:00pm and we encourage you to attend, particularly if you’ve ever read your bill and wondered about the various charges and what services they encompass. Spots are limited, so it’s best to sign up well in advance. Stay tuned for more information about the remaining CUB Connects workshops in 2015!

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09/05/22  |  0 Comments  |  CUB Connects Introduces New Workshop Series

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