Useful consumer information on communications

Consumers Union has released a new telecommunications and media online resource: HearUsNow.org, as per a tip from Kenneth DeGraff, a Consumers Union Policy Advocate, posted at the highly useful Politech website.

The site offers in-depth reading on over 60 consumer related telecom issues. Consumer tips on what to do before you buy, understanding your bills after and making companies listen when you are unhappy (from phone services to copyright rules on digital content). There are also 7 different ways to make a difference in less then 2 minutes (see "Get Heard" on the left bar and click the red link). Hearusnow.org gives consumers the ability to work for change on an individual level and provides hundreds of resources to join efforts already going on across the country.

And there is a fun movie to watch, a spoof on a current TV show, but more importantly puts media consolidation (a somewhat dry topic) in to a nice, easily digestible, package.

BTW, another good consumer telecom site is ABTolls.com which reports on long distance service costs.