Virginia targets cell phone waste within government -- GCN

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Virginia looks to take unused cell phones away from state workers

State examining usage patterns in effort to cuts costs

By GCN Staff
May 05, 2011

As the state of Virginia looks for cost-saving measures, it is examining its annual $6 million cell phone bill closely, paying particular attention to phones that go unused, reports Government Technology.

Under an initiative announced on May 3, a telecommunications management contracting firm will now examine the state’s cell phone usage patterns and look for areas of potential savings, the article said.

According to a July 2010 audit, an average of 4,500 cell phones go unused – that is, the devices had zero minutes of calls racked up.

Earlier this year, California Gov. Jerry Brown launched a program to take approximately 48,000 cell phones from state workers, in an effort to save the state about $20 million, GCN reported.

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Reader Comments

Wed, May 11, 2011 Wild Man

I was one of those who terminated my VA state cell phone. It was 12 years old and I was using my private cell phone for texting and calling co-workers instead of my old analog state cell phone. So far I haven't had to incur significant personal expense to conduct state business on my own phone. Had it kept up with technology I probably would have used it more.

Mon, May 9, 2011

In the Government it takes a serious financial crisis to start looking at cutting things that are a total waste of money. In the private sector, doing these type of measures is normal business practice. No wonder the Federal and State governments are having financial problems. Hopefully people will begin to realize that it is government spending that is creating the bulk of the financial problems we are having. But I doubt that nearly everyone, especially those deeply involved in the government, will get the message.

Mon, May 9, 2011 MaintMan Flyover country

Isn't it a bit more than somewhat amazing that no one watches for "unused" phones, to the tune of 4,500 of them? No managers present? Was authority consolidated at a level well above reasonable controls? . . . And we are left to wonder why "government credibility" is becoming an oxymoron.