Comcast is giving a $10 service credit to every Tucson customer whose Super Bowl viewing was interrupted by a porno snippet, but you have to call in. The number to call is 1-888-315-8219. A thorough system review indicated there was no technical glitch, “suggesting someone deliberately seeking to interrupt the broadcast rather than a technical glitch,” wrote WSJ. US Attorney General spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said, “We take this matter seriously.” The pancake pupcake pile said, “You can call me nanerpus, nanerpus.”
Check Your AT&T Bill For Fraudulent Charges
By February 2, 2009
Ralph discovered a mysterious $18 charge on his most recent AT&T bill. A little research turned up OSP Communications, which is apparently a front for a fraudulent biller that has repeatedly hit AT&T customers with a cramming fraud. Read Ralph’s email below, and be sure to check your own phone bill for charges like this each month.
FCC Investigating Whether Comcast Is Messing With Rival Phone Services
By January 21, 2009
A few hours before Republican FCC chairman Kevin “Kevvy” Martin officially lost his job — he launched an investigation into whether Comcast is deliberately degrading rival phone services.
Hundreds Confused As Hawaii Transitions To Digital
By January 18, 2009
Hawaii last week became the first state to transition to digital television, leading hundreds of confused locals to call into the FCC’s help center. Though the transition appears to have been a technical success, the new digital signals mays never reach some of the 20,000 Hawaiians who rely on analog service.
Everyone Wave Goodbye To Outgoing FCC Chief Kevin Martin
By January 17, 2009
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is calling it quits as of inauguration day. The Chairman, who could have served for three more years, is heading to the Aspen Institute, a preserve for endangered spectacles masquerading as a “nonprofit leadership group.” Martin’s tenure was a mixed bag for consumers…
Consumers Union Asks Congress To Delay Digital Broadcast TV Switch
By January 7, 2009
Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports and, um, brand-spanking-new owner of Consumerist, the blog that you are reading right now, is asking Congress to delay the DTV switch until “until a plan is in place to minimize the number of consumers who will lose TV signals, particularly by fixing the flaws in the federal coupon program.” Why are they doing this? Well, the coupon program has already run out of money. Read the letter inside.
3 DTV Switch Myths You Can Debunk Over The Holidays
By December 24, 2008
Judging by our inbox, there are still a lot of people who don’t understand the Digital Broadcast Television Switch. Here are some myths that you can help debunk at your next family gathering.
By November 10, 2008
Does Comcast love Obama? Or do they just really, really, really hate FCC Chairman Kevin Martin? [DSL Reports]
Fail: Giant Metaphor For Digital TV Transition Performs As Expected
By October 21, 2008
The Federal Communications Commission and its benevolent overlord, Mr. Kevin Martin, recently spent $350,000 to sponsor a NASCAR team for 3 races. The “Digital TV Transition Ford” sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission crashed during its inaugural NASCAR race Sunday afternoon, says the WSJ.
"How Do I Stop Fax Spam?"
By September 3, 2008
Harry keeps getting spammed via his fax machine. Frankly, we think fax machines stopped being relevant or useful in about 1998, but until the rest of the world catches up to our way of thinking, here are some ways you can try to limit the damages.
By September 2, 2008
Cnet has rounded up a list of free bandwidth monitoring apps for Windows and Mac users who will be facing Comcast’s new 250 GB download limit next month. They aren’t perfect, but they “should tide you over until Verizon brings some Fios action to your hood.” [download.com]
Comcast: 250 GB Cap Coming October 1st?
By August 28, 2008
Broadband Reports is saying that they’ve confirmed through several sources that Comcast is going to be instituting a 250GB cap on their high speed internet.
How To Get ATT Naked DSL (Redux)
By August 28, 2008
When reader Nick tried to sign up for ATT “naked DSL” or “dry loop” service (getting DSL without having paying for a landline), a curious thing happened.
FCC Plans Road Trip To Educate America About Digital TV
By August 20, 2008
…the five FCC Commissioners and other Commission staff will fan out to [selected] markets to raise awareness and educate consumers.
FCC Commissioner: Regulating Poor Comcast Compels Us To Regulate All Speech On The Internet. Huh?
By August 15, 2008
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R-Obviously) recently warned conservative bloggers that the Commission’s decision to repudiate Comcast for crippling Bit Torrent could lead the government to start “dictating content policy” by requiring blogs to give equal time to opposing views. Ha! Of course, this can be avoided if we vote for the *ahem* “right” candidate in November.
Sprint Loses Early Termination Fee Case In California
By July 29, 2008
A California judge has issued a tentative ruling against Sprint regarding early termination fees. Although Sprint has two weeks to respond before the judge issues a final ruling, if the ruling stands then Sprint will have to pay $73 million in refunds to former customers. That Verizon settlement for $21 million earlier this month must be looking pretty sweet to Sprint’s investors right about now.
FCC Approves Sirius-XM Merger
By July 26, 2008
Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of Sirius-XM. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new anti-consumer practices. To seek out new revenue streams and crowd out new competitors. To boldly safeguard the dangerous monopoly granted last night by the FCC.
AT&T Will Roll Out Tiered Internet Access In October
By July 22, 2008
“When AT&T provides broadband service by speed, it will do so in discrete, non-overlapping tiers,” Quinn said in written testimony. “We will strive to provide service within the speed tier purchased by the customer and, if we find that we are not providing service within the ordered speed tier, AT&T will take action either to bring the customer’s service within the ordered tier or give the customer an option to move to a different tier.”
