A number of great business tycoons — like Bob Belcher and James McGill, esq. — have lived where they work, so why shouldn’t Comcast’s favorite son, CEO Brian Roberts, take up residence inside Kabletown Tower? [More]
telecommunications
You No Longer Need A Skype Account To Use Skype
By 11.15.16
Want to call someone on Skype but don’t feel like downloading it or even signing up for a new account? Neither action is necessary now that Skype has opened up chats, voice, and video calls to guests. [More]
Verizon Wireless Agrees To Wipe Out Non-Profit’s $20,300 Data Bill
By 10.18.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
After the Federal Communications Commission saw a huge spike in complaints from Verizon Wireless customers reporting mysterious data overages, the carrier has apparently started offering refunds. In one case, that means canceling a non-profit’s $20,300 bill for using 1,300GB of data — on a single phone, in one month. [More]
Groups Ask FCC To Reform Set-Top Box Market, Say New Rules Could Save Consumers Billions Every Year
By 1.21.16
While the cable industry hasn’t fessed up to how much it makes leasing set-top boxes to their customers, in July, lawmakers crunched some numbers and found that it could be a $20 billion industry, with consumers paying up to $232 every year on that equipment. Two advocacy groups are now asking the Federal Communications Commission to begin a rulemaking proceeding to reform the video set-top box market, saying cable and pay-TV companies are overcharging consumers by $6 billion to $14 billion annually. [More]
Sling TV Says Comcast-Owned NBC Stations Are Blocking Its Ads
By 7.31.15
There’s a rumble brewing in telecom town: Sling TV is accusing Comcast of keeping its ads off some NBC stations’ airwaves. Which is exactly what the big bad cable company in its recent marketing campaign would do, Dish Network-owned Sling says. [More]
AT&T On The Hook For $40M Because It Didn’t Read Legal Documents Closely
By 3.19.15
One might think that a company making upwards of $134 billion in a year would pay its lawyers to read everything that comes their way very closely. And yet somehow, AT&T’s legal counsel missed information in legal documents that could put the company on the hook for $40 million in a patent-infringement case. [More]
Here's How Much Law Enforcement Has To Pay To Snoop On Your Calls
By 4.9.12
Back in December, a U.S. Appeals court gave the thumbs-up to telecommunications companies working with the National Security Agency to monitor phones and email. Phone companies are also apparently totally cool with selling access to your phone activities to other law enforcement agencies willing to fork over pre-set prices. [More]
Port Your Mobile Number To Google Voice Now Live
By 1.26.11
The option to port your existing cellphone number over to Google Voice is now live and direct, baby. [More]
Coming Soon: Port Your Number To Google Voice For $20
By 1.20.11
Looks like soon Google Voice will let you port your own phone number over to their service for $20. [More]
Do We Need The White Pages Anymore?
By 5.8.10
It could be the end of the line for your favorite doorstop: Verizon, the dominant phone company in New York, is asking to stop automatic delivery of the residential White Pages to doorsteps across the state later this year. [More]
FCC Asked To Address Misleading And Confusing Billing
By 10.16.09
In August, we wrote about upcoming investigations and possible actions by the FCC on several different areas of the consumer telecommunications experience. Several consumer groups filed comments on the first issue, truth in billing, this week, and we wanted to share some of their concerns and suggestions.
The Federal Government Has Had Enough With Cell Phone Exclusivity
By 7.7.09
Annoyed by cell phone exclusivity deals? The federal government may agree with you. The FCC and Department of Justice are both looking into the issue, concerned about limitations on consumer choice and good old-fashioned competition.
Cox Sees Your Double Payment, Raises You A Double Bill
By 6.13.09
Tamera accidentally paid her $134.61 Cox Cable bill twice, but instead of refunding or acknowledging the overpayment, Cox thought it would be fun to send Tamera an extra bill for $269. If she’s lucky, Cox says they’ll consider waiving their late fee.
Why Is Vonage Billing Domestic Calls At International Rates
By 4.12.09
Vonage charged J.R. $38.94 for a three-hour call transferred from Texas to Los Angeles because Vonage apparently thinks L.A. is somewhere in Algeria. After some digging, J.R. learned that if you transfer a call without adding +1 to the number, Vonage will mistake area codes for country codes and bill at the international rate, even though the calls are domestic.
Comcast Threatens To Cancel Your Service Over "Leaky Signal" That They Can't Understand Or Fix
By 3.22.09
Comcast keeps sending Andrew’s parents letters insisting that “there is a leak of our electronic signal into the air,” and that if it can’t be immediately fixed, their service will be disconnected. Andrew’s parents always immediately call Comcast to schedule a service visit, because nobody wants a signal leaking into the air, especially not one that “could interfere with aircraft and ship communications,” but each time they call, Comcast has no clue why they sent a letter, or how to plug the leaky plane-gobbling signal.
Everyone Wave Goodbye To Outgoing FCC Chief Kevin Martin
By 1.17.09
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…
By 7.10.08
../..//2008/07/10/the-senate-passed-the-fisa/
The Senate passed the FISA bill today, which effectively puts an end to any chance of legal repercussions for telcos who helped the government spy on citizens. Senator Obama voted for it, Senator McCain didn’t vote, and Senator Clinton, for what it’s worth, voted against it. Find out how your senator voted here. [TechCrunch]
Tired Of Your Entrenched Service Provider? Consider A Local Alternative
By 2.3.08
Few consumers realize they can ditch their monopolistic service providers in favor of local, independent telecoms that often offer similar services at competitive rates. These smaller outfits depend on service, not size, as reader Sharpstick recently discovered:
In the Charleston SC area we are fortunate to have local a internet / phone / cable provider called Knology that has made customer service an art form.
