RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BORDER FREE LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
CALLING
WHEREAS, affordable communications between border communities is integral to the
coordinated movement of people, goods and services; and
WHEREAS, communities along the Canadian border have been the beneficiaries of such
affordable communications, including some locales in which cross-border calls in some instances
are priced the same as local calls; and
WHEREAS, due to Mexican telecommunications policies that protect Telmex, the formerly state-owned telecommunications utility, United States communities on the Mexico border must pay
international settlement charges which are among the highest in the world. For example, it is
cheaper for a United States resident on the Mexico border to call anyone in Canada or most folks
in Europe, than it is to call a citizen less than a half mile away in Mexico; and
WHEREAS, because of these protectionist policies that make legal calls so expensive, there has
been a proliferation of illegal wireless calls at the border resulting in interference with public safety
cellular use; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Trade
Representative have expressed their support for affordable cross-border calling plans, but the
Government of Mexico has refused to amend its policies,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors thanks
the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Trade Representative for their
past efforts and requests that they continue to press Mexico to open its telecommunications
market; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be translated into Spanish and
forwarded to The Mexican Association of Municipalities (Associacion de Municipios de Mexico)
requesting their assistance and support for lower calling rates between our citizens and businesses.
©2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors 
