---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <20180829102053.GA26891@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 06:20:53 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting For The FCC, FTC To Punish Verizon For Screwing Firefighters from the nothing-to-see-here dept We've noted how the telecom industry been having great success in the Trump era eliminating FCC, FTC, and state authority over telecom monopolies. The underlying industry justification is that gutting consumer protections will somehow magically improve competition and spur investment by regional telecom monopolies, a decades-old claim that has never been true, and yet somehow never dies. In reality, when you kill regulatory oversight of natural monopolies (without shoring up the underlying competition issues beneath), the problem only tends to get worse. It's something you probably noticed if you've had any interactions with Comcast lately. Last week the perils in this particular course of action were laid bare when Verizon was busted first throttling and then trying to upsell first responders while they were trying to combat wildfires in California. Gigi Sohn, one of the ex-FCC staffers that helped craft the rules, did a good job pointing out how the FCC's "Restoring Internet Freedom" order didn't just kill net neutrality, it punted the FCC's ability to hold ISPs like Verizon accountable ... https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180827/11413040513/dont-hold-your-breath-waiting-fcc-ftc-to-punish-verizon-screwing-firefighters.shtml -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20180829101653.GA26858@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 06:16:53 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: T-Mobile to AT&T and Verizon: Get Your Heads Out of...the Sand Today, T-Mobile unveiled the AT&T and Verizon #HallofLame sand sculpture at the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition, built by Archisand Professional Sand Sculptors. The Un-carrier is applying a little "pier" pressure to get Verizon and AT&T to treat customers better, calling out the carriers for charging customers tons of extra taxes and fees, forcing them to endure frustrating phone mazes and bots when they need help and more. "No matter how many times I've told the carriers to listen to customers and do what they tell you, they just won't listen - they've got their heads in the sand, so we'll try to reach them where they're at ... in the sand," said John Legere, CEO at T-Mobile. "AT&T and Verizon, it's time for change - stop gouging customers. Kill your phone maze. Give customers technology for today, not relics from yester-year. It's time to take another page from the Un-carrier book and treat your customers like rock stars!" https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/t-mobile-to-att-and-verizon-get-your-heads-out-ofthe-sand-2018-08-28 -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20180829102635.GA26939@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 06:26:35 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: 1,000 First Responders Urge Congress to Restore Net Neutrality After Verizon Throttles California Firefighters During Wildfires "It is unconscionable for corporations to endanger public safety for the sake of profit." by Julia Conley More than 1,000 first responders from across the country threw their support behind net neutrality protections on Tuesday, with a letter demanding that lawmakers in Congress pass the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to reverse the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s repeal of net neutrality. "We are joining with millions of businesses, veterans, and Internet users in asking Congress to use their Congressional Review Act (CRA) powers to restore the strong net neutrality rules and other consumer protections that were lost when the FCC voted to repeal its 2015 Open Internet Order," reads an letter endorsed by the internet freedom advocacy group Fight for the Future. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/08/28/1000-first-responders-urge-congress-restore-net-neutrality-after-verizon-throttles -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20180829103408.GA27030@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 06:34:08 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: After 911 cell tower goes down in SC, Sheriff works on backup plan BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) - A storm in Beaufort on Sunday, August 19, left cell phones in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties unable to reach emergency dispatch. But the Beaufort County Sheriff Office is working to make sure it doesn't happen again. A lightning strike caused the frightening outage from 5:00 p.m. until about 9:00 a.m. the next morning. As a result, a Lady's Island home was lost in a fire because the family couldn't call for help. https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/after-911-cell-tower-goes-down-bcso-works-on-backup-plan/1402455740 -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Thu, 30 Aug 2018