33 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
Copyright © 2014 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.

The Telecom Digest for Sep 28, 2014
Volume 33 : Issue 169 : "text" Format

Messages in this Issue:
Centurylink's little fee is a big deal (Bill Horne)
A Wall Street Analyst Walked Into An AT&T Store And Tried Bending The New iPhone (Bill Horne)
2 Industries That Are Even More Despised Than Airlines (Bill Horne)
How to: Upgrade Phones at Verizon and Keep Unlimited Data (Bill Horne)
Text-to-911 trial with AT&T now slated this fall (Bill Horne)
DirecTV's shareholders vote overwhelmingly for the AT&T merger (Bill Horne)
CenturyLink denies inferior service (Bill Horne)
Oakland Calif PD loves their Stingray so much... they want more (danny burstein)

As to the presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it.   - Martin Van Buren


See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details.

Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:33:59 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Centurylink's little fee is a big deal Message-ID: <m06ec8$sog$1@dont-email.me> I wondered how Henrietta Speth even noticed the $1 charge added to her CenturyLink bill this month. "I'm a widow on a limited income and I have to watch my money," Speth said. The charge, marked with two asterisks and described as a "Facility Relocation Cost Recovery Fee," was among the monthly charges for local phone service. Speth said she called CenturyLink to inquire about the new fee. "The fella was very indignant. He told me it was because they moved their offices, and I asked where they moved them to," Speth said. And that's when the representative really got Speth riled up. http://www.news-press.com/story/news/investigations/melanie-payne/2014/09/11/tell-mel-centurylinks-little-fee-big-deal/15483263/ -or- http://goo.gl/qywTPM -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 08:15:52 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: A Wall Street Analyst Walked Into An AT&T Store And Tried Bending The New iPhone Message-ID: <m069po$vd6$1@dont-email.me> by Dave Smith Apple's bending iPhone issue remains a hot topic, despite Apple's best efforts to put it away. First, there were complaints of iPhone 6 Plus units bending in people's pockets. Then a YouTuber successfully bent the device, which instantly went viral (now people are calling that video into question). Soon thereafter, Apple responded, insisting only nine people have complained about the bending. It also opened its doors to journalists so they can see how they test the iPhone 6 Plus for themselves. http://www.businessinsider.com/a-wall-street-analyst-walked-into-an-att-store-and-tried-bending-the-new-iphone-2014-9 -or- http://goo.gl/sF6Usl -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:06:37 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: 2 Industries That Are Even More Despised Than Airlines Message-ID: <m06cou$i7d$1@dont-email.me> If you were asked to name the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the airline industry, chances are it wouldn't be something pleasant. While airlines get us from Point A to B faster than any other mode of transportation, it's more like a necessary evil. Most of us don't dwell on the magic and convenience of modern air travel. It's the long security lines, cramped quarters once on the plane, and the occasional flight delay or cancellation that crowd our memories. Yet, peruse the 43 different industries that the American Consumer Satisfaction Index ranked in 2014 and you'll discover that the airline industry is only the third least-liked of all. In fact, customer satisfaction with the airline sector is tied for its highest score in 16 years, likely a result of the shock and awe of optional pricing fees wearing off. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/26/2-industries-that-are-even-more-despised-than-airl.aspx -or- http://goo.gl/5fskqt -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 08:01:52 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: How to: Upgrade Phones at Verizon and Keep Unlimited Data Message-ID: <m068vh$q60$1@dont-email.me> by Kellex Continuing to hold on to your unlimited data plan at Verizon is becoming increasingly more difficult, assuming you want to upgrade to a new phone at some point. The options to upgrade are disappearing quicker than we can count, but there are still a handful of ways for you to pick up a new phone and keep living life without data caps. Unfortunately, the options that include discounted phones or reasonable monthly payments are either incredibly limited now or gone altogether. If you want to upgrade and keep unlimited data, your best bet is to pay full retail in most cases. Since we haven't talked about the methods for keeping unlimited data on Verizon in a while, we wanted to do that today. Many of you are considering your next phone as we head into a busy holiday season, so knowing your options can't hurt the situation. http://www.droid-life.com/2014/09/25/upgrade-verizon-keep-unlimited-data/ -or- http://goo.gl/HPGhLZ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:00:51 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Text-to-911 trial with AT&T now slated this fall Message-ID: <m06ce4$g1r$1@dont-email.me> Written by Brittany Stovall PUTNAM COUNTY (Tennessee) - A 911 texting trial with AT&T that was slated to start this summer in Putnam County is now anticipated to begin this fall. "We are excited about Next Generation 911 and all the capabilities it will give us as time goes on. We are just ready for the wireless carriers to establish the testing schedule with us and move forward," said Mike Thompson, director of Putnam County 911. http://www.herald-citizen.com/newsx/item/3687-text-to-911-trial-with-at-t-now-slated-this-fall -or- http://goo.gl/jUd5YQ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 08:30:11 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: DirecTV's shareholders vote overwhelmingly for the AT&T merger Message-ID: <m06akj$3ki$1@dont-email.me> by Brian Fung The vote wasn't much of a surprise, but investors in DirecTV have now made their position official: They can't wait for regulators to approve an AT&T buyout. Over 99 percent of voting shareholders said Thursday that they'd be in favor of a merger, according to DirecTV. The $49 billion deal would combine one of the nation's largest satellite TV providers with one of the country's biggest telecom companies. It still has to be given the green light by the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission, but few analysts expect much opposition. To further sweeten the deal, AT&T has offered to expand broadband service to more U.S. households and to abide by the FCC's old net neutrality rules (which were tossed out this year by a federal court) for three years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/26/directvs-shareholders-vote-overwhelmingly-for-the-att-merger/ -or- http://goo.gl/lpXKr4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- I wonder: is this all about rights-of-way? Local governments, feeling the pinch of voters who question every budget item, are increasingly demanding that ILEC's, CLEC's, and other old-world players ante up when they go beyond their "POTS" mandates. Satellites don't need any rights-of-way. Bill -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:28:33 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: CenturyLink denies inferior service Message-ID: <m06e21$qi8$1@dont-email.me> by Robert Anglen The director of a south Phoenix non-profit serving thousands of low-income families says CenturyLink left it without phone or Internet service for more than a week after recent storms and questioned whether the provider prioritized services to more affluent areas. Mary Black, director of Black Family and Child Services, said CenturyLink effectively shut down the social service agency for eight days, leaving clients cut off from mental-health services, foster-care case workers and welfare-assistance programs. http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumer/call-12-for-action/2014/09/20/centurylink-denies-bad-service/15988759/ -or- http://goo.gl/t0YZLd -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 21:03:42 -0400 From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Oakland Calif PD loves their Stingray so much... they want more Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.64.1409272102520.7800@panix1.panix.com> [Report seen on KTVU-TV in Oakland, California - Mod] KTVU's "2 Investigates" has confirmed that law enforcement agencies in the East Bay that use a controversial cell phone monitoring device are now looking to upgrade the system, potentially making it more powerful. According to documents released by the City of Oakland, the Oakland Police Department, Fremont Police Department, and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office have jointly applied for a federal grant to upgrade their Stingray cell phone tracking device. The exact capabilities offered by the upgrade, which is called Hailstorm, are still largely unknown. The recently released records indicate that the upgrade comes with a $535,000 price tag, but they offer no details about the device's exact capabilities or how local police departments are using the technology. 2 Investigates has learned that the Hailstorm upgrade will allow the Stingray system to track newer model cell phones that use 4G LTE. ===== rest: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/2-investigates-local-police-look-upgrade-their-sec/nhR6M/ _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom- munications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to Usenet, where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'.

TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit educational service offered to the Internet by Bill Horne.

The Telecom Digest is moderated by Bill Horne.
Contact information: Bill Horne
Telecom Digest
43 Deerfield Road
Sharon MA 02067-2301
339-364-8487
bill at horne dot net
Subscribe: telecom-request@telecom-digest.org?body=subscribe telecom
Unsubscribe: telecom-request@telecom-digest.org?body=unsubscribe telecom

This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Copyright © 2014 E. William Horne. All rights reserved.


Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself. Thank you!

All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization.


End of The Telecom Digest (8 messages)

Return to Archives ** Older Issues