34 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
Copyright © 2015 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.

The Telecom Digest for Nov 16, 2015
Volume 34 : Issue 207 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
New Mexico PRC votes to approve CenturyLink promotion for cheaper business rates (Bill Horne)
Oregon regulators raise the bar for gigabit tax breaks (Bill Horne)
A new kind of amber alert (Bill Horne)
FCC Is Threatening Frontier Communications and CenturyLink (Bill Horne)
How one couple beat the cable company (Monty Solomon)
Verizon brings back $20 activation fee for devices (Bill Horne)

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Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:20:05 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: New Mexico PRC votes to approve CenturyLink promotion for cheaper business rates Message-ID: <n2bhsr$crm$1@dont-email.me> The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission unanimously approved two motions granting provisions of a promotion sought by CenturyLink to offer lower prices to businesses operating in the state. In May 2014, the Commission unanimously approved a similar promotion reducing residential rates by the same company, as pointed out by Commissioner Patrick Lyons on Wednesday, Nov. 4. http://www.mvtelegraph.com/news_stream/prc-votes-to-approve-centurylink-promotion-for-cheaper-business-rates/article_52eb054a-87fe-11e5-95a5-0b66b562f6ce.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:31:40 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Oregon regulators raise the bar for gigabit tax breaks Message-ID: <n2biik$ft9$1@dont-email.me> Not so fast Frontier and CenturyLink: Oregon regulators raise the bar for gigabit tax breaks by Mike Rogoway Oregon utility commissioners overruled their staff Tuesday, opting for a broad definition of the term "broadband" in a rebuke to two of the state's largest telecom companies. The three commissioners agreed during a public hearing in Salem that broadband means anything faster than dial-up connection, at least as it applies to determining eligibility for tax breaks Oregon lawmakers approved last March. http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/11/oregon_utility_commissioners_f.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:23:20 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: A new kind of amber alert Message-ID: <n23kv1$lq2$1@dont-email.me> The Utah DOT has been putting a new message on the state's "amber" alert system: GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR APPS The DOT defends the message, saying that it is causing motorists to think about the risks of texting while driving. Bill -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:25:33 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: FCC Is Threatening Frontier Communications and CenturyLink Message-ID: <n2bi72$dth$1@dont-email.me> by Dan Caplinger How the FCC Is Threatening Frontier Communications and CenturyLink A recent inquiry targets four carriers, but Frontier and CenturyLink in particular are under a bigger threat. Just about everyone across the nation knows about the big historical fight between AT&T and Verizon for dominance in the telecom industry, as the two massive telecom providers have extensive wireless networks and a host of related services they've deployed in an effort to grab as much market share as possible in the lucrative U.S. market. On that score, smaller players like Frontier Communications and CenturyLink don't really pose a big competitive threat to Verizon and AT&T, but they do have ambitious plans of their own to try to tap into some of the more profitable niches in the telecom arena. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/20/how-the-fcc-is-threatening-frontier-communications.aspx -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:00:48 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: How one couple beat the cable company Message-ID: <6C697969-EF0D-4537-AA85-7CAA22551139@roscom.com> How one couple beat the cable company The breaking point came in July 2012. Our Comcast bill for Internet, television, and phone hit $184 a month. And that was without premium channels like HBO. Add cell phones, and our total telecommunications bill was $244. By last month, we had chopped that to $97 a month - a savings of $1,764 a year. But before explaining how we did it, a caution: If you are a diehard Red Sox fan, this may not work for you. That said, our telecommunications diet plan is based on four precepts: 1. Pay only for what you use. 2. Buy your own equipment. 3. Mine the Internet for all its riches. 4. Comparison shop (yes, that takes time, but if you're a cheap geek like me, it's part of the fun.) http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/10/11/cable/NEBNVPfcYSrCy1TqdtyYgK/story.html
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:38:06 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Verizon brings back $20 activation fee for devices Message-ID: <n2biul$gut$1@dont-email.me> by Roger Cheng The fee kicks in on Sunday and applies to new consumer lines of service. If you're considering signing up for wireless service with Verizon, you may want to do so before Sunday. That's when the New York-based telecommunications giant adds a $20 fee to cover the cost of activating a new device, according to a company spokeswoman. It applies to consumers signing up for a new phone or tablet line and affects devices purchased through a monthly installment plan or purchased outright. http://www.cnet.com/news/verizon-brings-back-20-activation-fee-for-devices/ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)

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