The FCC is currently mulling over whether to give its stamp of approval to two huge mergers — Comcast/Time Warner Cable and AT&T/DirecTV — and is intending to make information available to third parties about the deals that that these pay-TV giants make with broadcasters. But even though you and every other cable subscriber wants to know exactly how much Comcast pays for access to channels like ESPN, MTV, and the major networks, the broadcasters want that info kept under lock and key — and they’ve asked the court to stop it from possibly going public. [More]
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Broadcasters Get Court To Stop Consumers From Seeing How Much Cable Companies Pay For Content
By 11.14.14
AT&T Cancels Plan To Build In-flight Internet Service To Compete With Gogo
By 11.10.14
Just six months after AT&T announced it would soon begin work to build a network to offer high-speed in-flight WiFi, the wireless carrier say it’s abandoning those plans. [More]
ISPs to FCC: No, Seriously, We Will Sue If You Use Title II Like The White House Just Asked
By 11.10.14
Earlier today, the battle over new net neutrality regulations took a surprising shift as the White House very publicly recommended the FCC take the Title II reclassification approach. And while consumer advocates are thrilled, the businesses that make their money charging you for internet access are about as pleased as you’d expect. Which is to say: even if the FCC somehow jumped on Title II tomorrow, there’s a long, ugly legal fight brewing. [More]
AT&T’s New 30-Month Plan Tries To Make It Worth Paying Full Price For Phones
By 11.4.14
One of the knocks against unsubsidized wireless plans — those plans where you pay full price for your phone but get a discount on monthly service — is that the discount isn’t enough to justify paying upwards of $600-$750 for a top-of-the-line new phone, and that the monthly installment options are really just de facto contracts. But AT&T’s newest plan stretches out payments long enough so that you pay just about the same price — if not lower — than you would under contract. [More]
Microsoft Offers Lumia-Fitbit Flex Bundle, Forgets It Just Launched Own Fitness Tracker
By 11.4.14
Here’s some exciting news if you’re in the market for both a new smartphone and a fitness-tracking wristband: AT&T has a deal right now where you can pay $99 for a shiny new Nokia Lumia 830, and with that get a Fitbit Flex wristband, which costs $99 by itself. That sounds like a great deal: unless you’re part of the team that just launched Microsoft’s own fitness-tracking wristband. [More]
Why AT&T Is Being Sued Over Data Throttling But Verizon Isn’t (Yet)
By 10.29.14
The glory days of unlimited mobile data plans are long behind us. For years, even the owners of “unlimited” plans have been subject to mysterious and inconsistent limits from their mobile providers. Yesterday, the poorly communicated limits of unlimited data became the core issue of a large lawsuit the FTC filed against AT&T. It’s the first time the agency has tackled data throttling at all, but if many companies are doing it, why target AT&T and not everyone else? [More]
AT&T Sued By Feds For Throttling “Unlimited” Wireless Customers
By 10.28.14
A few years back, AT&T ticked off a lot of wireless customers with so-called “unlimited” plans by announcing that it would throttle data speeds for users who passed certain monthly thresholds. Though customers tried to sue in response, AT&T’s terms of service generally prevent class action suits from customers and force users into private, binding arbitration. But even though millions of customers can’t sue, the federal government can. [More]
T-Mobile CEO: Apple SIM That Should Let Users Switch Mobile Carriers Is Crippled By Mobile Carriers
By 10.27.14
Apple included a very consumer-friendly item in their new iPad Air 2: the Apple SIM. As designed, the Apple SIM lets iPad owners switch cellular carriers without going into phone stores or having to get any new parts. But in reality, mobile carriers are doing their best to prevent any actual real-world consumers from doing so. [More]
AT&T Says U-Verse False Alarm Came From Radio Station
October 24, 2014
Earlier this morning, AT&T U-Verse subscribers woke up to an alarming, unexplained Emergency Alert Message on their screens. Now the company is trying to shed a bit of light on what exactly happened. [More]
Sponsored Data Is The New Free Shipping
By 10.24.14
It’s hard to persuade people to download, watch, or listen to your digital content. One thing that might help persuade them, at least if they’re AT&T customers, is to offer to sponsor their data. Will it work? More importantly, will customers stick with it once the subsidy goes away? [More]
AT&T U-Verse Freaks Customers Out With Bogus Emergency Alert Message
By 10.24.14
This morning, some AT&T U-Verse subscribers woke to an alarming message displayed on their TV screens declaring a vague emergency, without any mention of it being a test. [More]
FCC Pauses Review Of Both Media Mega-Mergers Because Content Companies Won’t Share Confidential Info
By 10.22.14
The slowly-turning wheel of the approvals process for two big media mergers has temporarily ground to a halt, as the FCC today announced delays in their reviews of both AT&T’s planned acquisition of DirecTV and also the Comcast/Time Warner Cable union. The delays in both proceedings stem from the same core issue: media content companies who don’t want their rivals to learn their secrets. [More]
Cable Lobbyists Pretending To Be Cool Digital Hipsters To Convince Youth That Net Neutrality Is Bad
By 10.9.14
The fight for net neutrality has players from all corners amped up and joining in. Millions of individuals, as well as consumer advocacy groups, internet businesses, internet business groups, cable and telecom businesses, and their trade groups, have all been pressing the FCC toward one decision or another. But now there are some new groups wading in to the morass. They look like millennial, digital-savvy, pro-internet hispters — but their message is straight out of Comcast and AT&T’s playbook. So what’s going on? [More]
AT&T To Pay $105 Million To Settle Wireless Bill-Cramming Charges
By 10.8.14
In a few minutes, the Federal Trade Commission, the FCC and attorneys general from 50 states and the District of Columbia will announce a $105 million deal with AT&T that settles allegations that the company has profited off the practice known as “bill-cramming,” third-party charges illegally placed on customers’ wireless bills without authorization. [More]
T-Mobile CEO “Sick And Tired” Of Takeover Talk
By 10.7.14
T-Mobile has long been considered a juicy, low-hanging magenta fruit that some bigger company could pick off and devour. But after years of being wooed by suitors from the Death Star, Japan, and France, T-Mobile CEO John Legere says it’s time to stop talking about his company being acquired by someone else. [More]
AT&T Apologizes For Now Ex-Employee Who Accessed Customer Data “Inappropriately”
By 10.7.14
AT&T has issued an apology letter and says it’s fired an employee who tapped into customer information this year, writing to those affected and explaining that the worker accessed accounts in August 2014. While doing so, that person might have viewed and obtained account information including social security numbers and driver’s license numbers. [More]
NFL Sunday Ticket To Remain A DirecTV Exclusive
By 10.2.14
Millions of football fans now have a reason to not ditch DirecTV. After months of negotiations, the satellite service has finally renewed its deal to be the exclusive carrier for NFL Sunday Ticket. [More]
AT&T Calls Throttling Lawsuit “Baseless… Baffling”
Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission sued AT&T over the throttling of wireless subscribers with unlimited plans. Not surprisingly, the Death Star isn’t exactly pleased with the lawsuit. [More]