The biggest energy hog in your house is probably sitting right under your TV. That little ol’ set-top box could be using up more electricity in your house than your refrigerator or central air conditioning, according to a new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council. [More]
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FCC Chair: 15 To 20 Million Americans Are Seeing Mystery Fees On Landline Bills
By 6.20.11
Eight months after the FCC settled with Verizon Wireless for $25 million over mystery charges on cell phone bills, the Commission’s Chairman Julius Genachowski says he’s ready to take on the bigger problem of so-called “cramming” on landline bills. [More]
Today Is The Last Day To Tell The FCC How You Feel About The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger
By 6.20.11
While AT&T’s pending purchase of T-Mobile may still be many, many months away from a final ruling by the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department, today is the deadline for members of the public to add their comments to the FCC record. [More]
Sprint Officially Asks FCC To Block AT&T Purchase Of T-Mobile
By 6.1.11
Since AT&T announced its plans to purchase T-Mobile USA for around $39 billion, the folks at Sprint have been quite public about their opposition to the deal, taking out mocking ads and testifying before lawmakers in Washington. Yesterday, Sprint made its stance official, filing a “Petition to Deny” the deal with the Federal Communications Commission. [More]
Comcast Pulls $18,000 Donation Over Tweet About FCC Commissioner Turned Kabletown Flunky
By 5.20.11
Comcast is apparently very unhappy with the fact that it was eliminated in the Final Four of this year’s Worst Company in America contest. First, it goes and makes the ethically questionable move of hiring a still-active FCC commissioner, and now comes a report that the Kabletown Krew have pulled $18,000 in funding to a non-profit organization all because of a Tweet about that commissioner’s hiring. [More]
Verizon Sues FCC Over New Rules For Data Roaming
By 5.19.11
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission voted to enact new rules that require national wireless broadband providers like Verizon and AT&T to provide data roaming to other carriers “on commercially reasonable terms and conditions.” Not surprisingly, Big Red is against this idea and has thus filed a lawsuit against the FCC in an attempt to have the rules reversed. [More]
FCC Commissioner Turned Comcast Flunky Defends Herself
By 5.16.11
Last week, FCC commissioner Meredith Atwell Baker raised a lot of eyebrows when — only months after voting to approve the controversial merger of Comcast and NBC — she announced she would be jumping ship to become Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, NBCUniversal. The lame duck commissioner recently released a statement to defend herself against allegations of impropriety. [More]
FCC Commissioner Approves Comcast/NBC Deal, Leaves FCC To Go Work For Comcast
By 5.11.11
A few months ago, the Federal Communications Commission approved Comcast’s purchase of NBC by a vote of 4-1. At the time, many people joked that the commissioners were all just securing themselves a gig at Comcast for their post-FCC careers. Today, that joke became less funny after Comcast confirmed it has indeed hired one of the four commissioners who approved the controversial deal. [More]
The President Will Text You When Terrorists Attack
By 5.10.11
America’s TVs and radios have the Emergency Alert System to notify people of dire local and national situations. Soon, your cell phone will act as a portable alarm for danger, too. [More]
Sick Of Comcast Rate Hikes, Boston Mayor Asks FCC To Let City Regulate Cable Prices
By 5.9.11
In the city of Boston, where most residents only have access to Comcast service, the price of basic cable has soared 60% over the last three years. So the city’s mayor, Thomas Menino, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to let the city regulate the cost of cable. [More]
Telemarketer Won't Show "Do Not Call" Policy? You Can Sue For $500
By 5.6.11
If you can’t get rid of annoying telemarketers, you can at least make a profit off them. Under Federal law, they have to give you a written copy of their “Do Not Call” policy for free if you ask them to. If they don’t, you can take them to court and sue them for a cool statutory $500. Here’s a sample script for doing this from a guy who has sued several telemarketers over this violation and won. [More]
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Talks Mergers With Consumerist
By 4.22.11
Of the commissioners on the FCC, Michael Copps is easily the most outspoken in his opinion on media consolidation. In January, he was the only commissioner to vote against the sale of NBC to Comcast, saying that the deal “grievously fails the public interest.” More recently, he’s expressed his skepticism about how smoothly the AT&T purchase of T-Mobile USA will go. And he’s also a cool enough guy to sit down for a chat with Consumerist. [More]
At Least One FCC Commissioner Thinks AT&T/T-Mobile Deal Won't Be A Cakewalk
By 4.1.11
With the pending $39 billion sale of T-Mobile to AT&T heading toward review by the various regulatory bodies involved, there is at least one senior FCC commissioner who thinks it might not be so easy for the deal to go down. Of course, he was the one commissioner who voted against the NBC/Comcast deal. [More]
Wireless Industry Group Says All Those Overages Are Actually Saving Us Money
By 3.9.11
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about cellphone bill shock and overages and what can be done to stop it. Now comes a new study by a wireless industry trade group that claims consumers are actually saving money because of all these overage. [More]
FCC To Reconsider Rules For Negotiations Between Broadcasters And Cable Companies
By 3.3.11
In recent years, the disputes between cable companies and broadcasters have gotten especially ugly as boardroom squabbles have spilled over onto the airwaves and online. And in the end, it’s always the subscribers who get hurt with blackouts and eventual price hikes. That’s why the FCC voted today to reinvestigate the rules and its role in these negotiations. [More]
FCC Asks Verizon To Investigate 911 Calls Dropped Amid Snowstorm
By 2.23.11
When several thousand Verizon customers needed to dial 911 during a January snowstorm in the D.C. area, they were left hanging by the provider. The FCC has asked Verizon to investigate why an estimated 10,000 911 calls were dropped. [More]
Rich DC Burbs Pay $9.58, Rurals Pay $31.17/Mbps
By 2.18.11
The rich get richer while the poor get…slower? A new report by investigative journalist John Dunbar cracks open the numbers that are tightly held by the industry and found vast disparities in the quality and price of service based on how close to town. By comparing customer speed tests and surveys, he found that while folks in the low-income areas outside of the Washington Metropolitan Area pay slightly less for their broadband, those in the wealthier DC burbs are getting far more bandwidth for their buck. The poor are paying on average $31.17/Mbps while the rich are paying only $9.58. [More]
FCC Looking To Shift Land Line Subsidy Efforts To Broadband Internet Access
By 2.7.11
The FCC has long subsidized access to land lines in rural areas, but will vote Tuesday to possibly shift the funding toward high-speed internet access. [More]
