Tag Archives: Telecom

House Democrats tell Ajit Pai: Stop screwing over the public

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On Thursday this week, the Communications Subcommittee will hold a hearing about the impact of Pai’s net neutrality repeal on consumers, small businesses, and free speech. Witnesses who have been invited to testify at the hearing include former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, cable industry chief lobbyist Michael Powell (who is also a former FCC chairman), and representatives of Mozilla, Free Press, and Eastern Oregon Telecom. – Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica » http://bit.ly/2HZDcQ6

Yup, Verizon and AT&T Are a Lot Slower After Adding Unlimited Plans

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Without some sort of independent internal audit, I won’t believe a single complaint from Verizon or AT&T that they need to throttle video to keep up with T-Mobile. While there’s no reason to believe these companies are intentionally manipulating their own service, we have little reason to trust them: telecoms are often a bunch of scummy liars. In rankings of the world’s fastest mobile internet speeds, the US is in 28th place. All these companies need to get their act together. – Rhett Jones, Gizmodo http://gizmo.do/gkkejCX

A top Democrat is worried Trump interfered in the government’s review of the AT&T-Time Warner deal

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The government’s merger reviews, however, are supposed to be independent from political influence — and the potential for White House interference riled Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the leading Democratic lawmaker on her chamber’s top competition committee. In a letter sent to the Justice Department on Friday, she demanded the agency detail any conversations it’s had with Trump or other White House officials about AT&T, Time Warner and CNN. – Tony Romm, Recode http://ift.tt/2tXK3kA

AT&T: forced arbitration isn’t “forced” because no one has to buy service

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The terms of service for AT&T Internet and DIRECTV require customers to “agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims” against AT&T. Class actions and trials by jury are prohibited, although individual cases in small claims courts are allowed. AT&T doesn’t offer any way to opt out of the arbitration/small claims provision, so the only other option is not buying service from AT&T. By contrast, some home Internet and TV providers such as Comcast offer a method for opting out. – Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica http://ift.tt/2saAcnL

C-Mobile: Buying the ‘Un-carrier’ would be Comcast’s ultimate revenge

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photo: BGR

Re/code reported earlier this week that Comcast has “notified Verizon it intends to exercise its option to resell cellular service using the carrier’s network,” which is the first major move the company has made to get into the mobile business so far. However, New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin tells Re/code that Comcast almost certainly has more ambitious plans than just piggybacking on Verizon’s spectrum holdings. – Brad Reed, BGR

AT&T blasts cable mergers, says cable companies should compete instead

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photo: Paramount/CBS, Ars Technica

[T]he National Cable & Telecommunications Association responded to AT&T with this statement: “AT&T recently merged with DirecTV to become the largest pay TV provider in the United States. So it is an amazing act of hubris to see them implore the government to help them diminish the effectiveness of a competitor, disparagingly citing actions that are common, pro-consumer or purely imaginary. Having long criticized others for making sweeping, vague, industry-wide allegations in the context of its own mergers, it is precious to see them employing the same self-serving tactic against others. Undoubtedly, the FCC will see AT&T’s action for what it is, a flimsy ad hominem attack to advance its own commercial interests.” – Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica

Ofcom tells mobile networks to sort out their customer service

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photo: Kevin Foy, Alamy

Ofcom has an appetite to do its job and hold the telecoms industry to account. Already, the regulator has penalized a number of mobile networks over their handling of customer complaints. Three UK was fined £250,000 ($388,037.50) in October 2014, followed by EE to the tune of £1 million earlier this summer. Ofcom is now in the middle of a third investigation, this time with Vodafone, over the way it’s been dealing with customer disputes. – Nick Summers, Engadget
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