Mobile Communication

The Right Cell Phone Policy In Boston.

The Associated Press reported that cell phone service had been shut down in Boston in the aftermath of today’s tragic Boston Marathon bombing. Happily, this report — sourced to an anonymous official — appears to be mistaken. Verizon and Sprint report that their networks are overwhelmed by the sudden spike in volume (common after a sudden disaster) but they have not been asked to suspend service and are in fact looking to increase capacity.



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The Associated Press reported that cell phone service had been shut down in Boston in the aftermath of today’s tragic Boston Marathon bombing. Happily, this report — sourced to an anonymous official — appears to be mistaken. Verizon and Sprint report that their networks are overwhelmed by the sudden spike in volume (common after a sudden disaster) but they have not been asked to suspend service and are in fact looking to increase capacity.

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The Associated Press reported that cell phone service had been shut down in Boston in the aftermath of today’s tragic Boston Marathon bombing. Happily, this report — sourced to an anonymous official — appears to be mistaken. Verizon and Sprint report that their networks are overwhelmed by the sudden spike in volume (common after a sudden disaster) but they have not been asked to suspend service and are in fact looking to increase capacity.

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The Associated Press reported that cell phone service had been shut down in Boston in the aftermath of today’s tragic Boston Marathon bombing. Happily, this report — sourced to an anonymous official — appears to be mistaken. Verizon and Sprint report that their networks are overwhelmed by the sudden spike in volume (common after a sudden disaster) but they have not been asked to suspend service and are in fact looking to increase capacity.

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AT&T and Verizon Double-Dare FCC To Stop Spectrum Consolidation

Rarely do you see companies double-dare the FCC to back up their brave talk about promoting competition. That is, however, what AT&T has just decided to do – with a little help from Verizon. After gobbling a ton of spectrum last year in a series of small transactions, AT&T announced earlier this week it would buy up ATNI, which holds the last shreds of the old Alltel Spectrum. To top this off, Verizon just announced it has selected the purchaser for the 700 MHz spectrum it promised to sell off to get permission to buy the SpectrumCo spectrum. And guess what?



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Rarely do you see companies double-dare the FCC to back up their brave talk about promoting competition. That is, however, what AT&T has just decided to do – with a little help from Verizon. After gobbling a ton of spectrum last year in a series of small transactions, AT&T announced earlier this week it would buy up ATNI, which holds the last shreds of the old Alltel Spectrum. To top this off, Verizon just announced it has selected the purchaser for the 700 MHz spectrum it promised to sell off to get permission to buy the SpectrumCo spectrum. And guess what? [log] => [revision_timestamp] => 1359144101 [format] => 7 [name] => Harold Feld [picture] => files/pictures/picture-1540.png [data] => a:5:{s:7:"contact";i:0;s:14:"picture_delete";i:0;s:14:"picture_upload";s:0:"";s:15:"googleanalytics";a:1:{s:6:"custom";i:1;}s:14:"wysiwyg_status";a:1:{i:7;i:7;}} [path] => blog/att-and-verizon-double-dare-fcc-stop-spectrum [print_display] => 1 [print_display_comment] => 0 [print_display_urllist] => 1 [print_mail_display] => 1 [print_mail_display_comment] => 0 [print_mail_display_urllist] => 1 [print_pdf_display] => 1 [print_pdf_display_comment] => 0 [print_pdf_display_urllist] => 1 [last_comment_timestamp] => 1359144101 [last_comment_name] => [comment_count] => 0 [taxonomy] => Array ( [121] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 121 [vid] => 5 [name] => AT&T [description] => [weight] => 0 ) [154] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 154 [vid] => 5 [name] => Competition [description] => [weight] => 0 ) [191] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 191 [vid] => 5 [name] => Mobile Communication [description] => [weight] => 0 ) [207] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 207 [vid] => 5 [name] => Spectrum [description] => [weight] => 0 ) [194] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 194 [vid] => 5 [name] => Verizon [description] => [weight] => 0 ) ) [files] => Array ( ) [iids] => Array ( ) [page_title] => [nodewords] => Array ( [abstract] => Array ( [value] => ) [canonical] => Array ( [value] => ) [copyright] => Array ( [value] => ) [description] => Array ( [value] => ) [keywords] => Array ( [value] => ) [revisit-after] => Array ( [value] => 1 ) [robots] => Array ( [value] => Array ( [noarchive] => 0 [nofollow] => 0 [noindex] => 0 [noodp] => 0 [nosnippet] => 0 [noydir] => 0 ) [use_default] => 0 ) [dc.contributor] => Array ( [value] => ) [dc.creator] => Array ( [value] => ) [dc.date] => Array ( [value] => Array ( [month] => 1 [day] => 25 [year] => 2013 ) ) [dc.title] => Array ( [value] => ) [location] => Array ( [latitude] => [longitude] => ) [pics-label] => Array ( [value] => ) ) [build_mode] => 0 [readmore] => 1 [content] => Array ( [#content_extra_fields] => Array ( [title] => Array ( [label] => Title [description] => Node module form. [weight] => -5 ) [body_field] => Array ( [label] => Body [description] => Node module form. [weight] => 0 [view] => body ) [revision_information] => Array ( [label] => Revision information [description] => Node module form. [weight] => 20 ) [author] => Array ( [label] => Authoring information [description] => Node module form. [weight] => 20 ) [options] => Array ( [label] => Publishing options [description] => Node module form. [weight] => 25 ) [comment_settings] => Array ( [label] => Comment settings [description] => Comment module form. [weight] => 30 ) [menu] => Array ( [label] => Menu settings [description] => Menu module form. [weight] => -2 ) [taxonomy] => Array ( [label] => Taxonomy [description] => Taxonomy module form. [weight] => -3 ) [path] => Array ( [label] => Path settings [description] => Path module form. [weight] => 30 ) [attachments] => Array ( [label] => File attachments [description] => Upload module form. [weight] => 30 [view] => files ) [image_attach] => Array ( [label] => Attached images [description] => Image Attach module form. [weight] => 0 ) [itunes] => Array ( [label] => iTunes feed information [description] => iTunes specific information. [weight] => 0 ) [page_title] => Array ( [label] => Page Title [description] => Page Title form. [weight] => -4 ) [path_redirect] => Array ( [label] => URL redirects [description] => Path redirect module listing [weight] => 30 ) [print] => Array ( [label] => Printer, e-mail and PDF versions [description] => Print module form. [weight] => 30 ) [xmlsitemap] => Array ( [label] => XML sitemap [description] => XML sitemap module form [weight] => 30 ) [nodewords] => Array ( [label] => Meta tags [description] => Meta tags fieldset. [weight] => 10 ) ) [#pre_render] => Array ( [0] => content_alter_extra_weights ) [body] => Array ( [#weight] => 0 [#value] =>

Rarely do you see companies double-dare the FCC to back up their brave talk about promoting competition. That is, however, what AT&T has just decided to do – with a little help from Verizon. After gobbling a ton of spectrum last year in a series of small transactions, AT&T announced earlier this week it would buy up ATNI, which holds the last shreds of the old Alltel Spectrum. To top this off, Verizon just announced it has selected the purchaser for the 700 MHz spectrum it promised to sell off to get permission to buy the SpectrumCo spectrum. And guess what? [#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>

Rarely do you see companies double-dare the FCC to back up their brave talk about promoting competition. That is, however, what AT&T has just decided to do – with a little help from Verizon. After gobbling a ton of spectrum last year in a series of small transactions, AT&T announced earlier this week it would buy up ATNI, which holds the last shreds of the old Alltel Spectrum. To top this off, Verizon just announced it has selected the purchaser for the 700 MHz spectrum it promised to sell off to get permission to buy the SpectrumCo spectrum. And guess what? [#printed] => 1 ) [links] => Array ( [node_read_more] => Array ( [title] => Read more [href] => node/7352 [attributes] => Array ( [title] => Read the rest of AT&T and Verizon Double-Dare FCC To Stop Spectrum Consolidation. ) ) ) )

Public Knowledge Lauds AT&T's Network Investment and The Importance of Pro-Competitive Policies

Today, AT&T detailed a plan to expand its wireless and wireline broadband networks. The plan touts an $8 billion investment in wireless initiatives, while another $6 billion will be put to use for wireline initiatives. In total, AT&T will reinvest $22 billion into their network over a span of three years, which could positively impact rural communities and DSL customers. 

The following can be attributed to Senior Vice President Harold Feld:

"AT&T is to be applauded for investing in its network and breathing new life into DSL and rural wireless. This investment will not only create new jobs and bring broadband to the heartland, it has the potential to revive competition with cable broadband at a time when many had concluded we were doomed to a cable monopoly. 

AT&T's Attempt to Justify Blocking FaceTime Falls Short

Issues: 

Background: Today, AT&T published its response to arguments by Public Knowledge, Free Press, and others that it is violating the FCC's Open Internet rules by blocking FaceTime, an iPhone video chat service, for many of its customers. AT&T's response is linked here.

PK's earlier press release on this matter is linked here.

The following statement may be attributed to John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge:

"The FCC's Open Internet rules do not distinguish between pre-loaded and downloaded apps. They prevent carriers from blocking certain kinds of apps--period. AT&T is blocking FaceTime for all of its iPhone customers who do not subscribe to its premium 'Mobile Shared' plans, and this runs afoul of the rules.

AT&T's Plan to Restrict FaceTime Violates FCC Rules

Background: AT&T has announced that only users who subscribe to its "Mobile Share" data plans will be able to use FaceTime, an iPhone video chat service, on their cellular connections.

The following statement may be attributed to John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge:

"By blocking FaceTime for many of its customers, AT&T is violating the FCC's Open Internet rules. These rules state that mobile providers shall not 'block applications that compete with the provider's voice or video telephony services.' Although carriers are permitted to engage in 'reasonable network management,' there is no technical reason why one data plan should be able to access FaceTime, and another not.

"'Over-the-top' communications services like FaceTime are a threat to carriers' revenue, but they should respond by competing with these services and not by engaging in discriminatory behavior."

The PCAST Report And The Inconvenient Truth About Federal Spectrum.

We have all kinds of reality-challenged folks in Washington. We got those who believe that we need to go back to the gold-standard and abolish the Federal Reserve. We got those who think vaccinations cause learning autism. To this we can now add “the folks who think we can keep finding federal spectrum to auction forever.”



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We have all kinds of reality-challenged folks in Washington. We got those who believe that we need to go back to the gold-standard and abolish the Federal Reserve. We got those who think vaccinations cause learning autism. To this we can now add “the folks who think we can keep finding federal spectrum to auction forever.”

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We have all kinds of reality-challenged folks in Washington. We got those who believe that we need to go back to the gold-standard and abolish the Federal Reserve. We got those who think vaccinations cause learning autism. To this we can now add “the folks who think we can keep finding federal spectrum to auction forever.”

[#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>

We have all kinds of reality-challenged folks in Washington. We got those who believe that we need to go back to the gold-standard and abolish the Federal Reserve. We got those who think vaccinations cause learning autism. To this we can now add “the folks who think we can keep finding federal spectrum to auction forever.”

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In Less Than 1 Year Verizon Data Goes from $30/Unlimited to $50/1GB

Today, Verizon Wireless announced its new pricing plans for mobile phones and data.  If you mostly use your phone for data, this is bad news.

Verizon's New Pricing PlanVerizon's New Pricing Plan



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Today, Verizon Wireless announced its new pricing plans for mobile phones and data.  If you mostly use your phone for data, this is bad news.

Verizon's New Pricing PlanVerizon's New Pricing Plan

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Today, Verizon Wireless announced its new pricing plans for mobile phones and data.  If you mostly use your phone for data, this is bad news.

Verizon's New Pricing PlanVerizon's New Pricing Plan

[#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>

Today, Verizon Wireless announced its new pricing plans for mobile phones and data.  If you mostly use your phone for data, this is bad news.

Verizon's New Pricing PlanVerizon's New Pricing Plan

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PK and Others Urge FCC to Prevent State, Local Cell Shutdowns

Today, we filed comments with a number of other public interest groups urging the FCC to issue rules that would prevent state and local governments from shutting off cell service in situations like the BART protests of last summer.

The comments that we filed today were replies to several issues raised in the first round. In particular, we were responding to arguments raised about who gets to initiate shutdowns, the constitutionality of some proposed and existing shutdown procedures, and the fact that government agencies cutting of access to the public airwaves still runs afoul of the First Amendment, even if they're cutting off access in areas that aren't traditional public forums.



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The comments that we filed today were replies to several issues raised in the first round. In particular, we were responding to arguments raised about who gets to initiate shutdowns, the constitutionality of some proposed and existing shutdown procedures, and the fact that government agencies cutting of access to the public airwaves still runs afoul of the First Amendment, even if they're cutting off access in areas that aren't traditional public forums.

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The comments that we filed today were replies to several issues raised in the first round. In particular, we were responding to arguments raised about who gets to initiate shutdowns, the constitutionality of some proposed and existing shutdown procedures, and the fact that government agencies cutting of access to the public airwaves still runs afoul of the First Amendment, even if they're cutting off access in areas that aren't traditional public forums.

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The comments that we filed today were replies to several issues raised in the first round. In particular, we were responding to arguments raised about who gets to initiate shutdowns, the constitutionality of some proposed and existing shutdown procedures, and the fact that government agencies cutting of access to the public airwaves still runs afoul of the First Amendment, even if they're cutting off access in areas that aren't traditional public forums.

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PK Urges FCC to Prevent Emergency Wireless Service Interruptions

This week, Public Knowledge, along with the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and several other public interest groups, urged the FCC to ensure that neither government agencies nor wireless providers shut down communications in an emergency.

The comments, also signed by the Benton Foundation, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Minority Media Telecommunications Council, and the Open Technology Institute of the New America Foundation, respond to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry, which asked about what procedures should be followed when government wanted to shut down communications during a crisis.



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This week, Public Knowledge, along with the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and several other public interest groups, urged the FCC to ensure that neither government agencies nor wireless providers shut down communications in an emergency.

The comments, also signed by the Benton Foundation, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Minority Media Telecommunications Council, and the Open Technology Institute of the New America Foundation, respond to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry, which asked about what procedures should be followed when government wanted to shut down communications during a crisis.

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This week, Public Knowledge, along with the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and several other public interest groups, urged the FCC to ensure that neither government agencies nor wireless providers shut down communications in an emergency.

The comments, also signed by the Benton Foundation, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Minority Media Telecommunications Council, and the Open Technology Institute of the New America Foundation, respond to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry, which asked about what procedures should be followed when government wanted to shut down communications during a crisis.

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This week, Public Knowledge, along with the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and several other public interest groups, urged the FCC to ensure that neither government agencies nor wireless providers shut down communications in an emergency.

The comments, also signed by the Benton Foundation, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Minority Media Telecommunications Council, and the Open Technology Institute of the New America Foundation, respond to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry, which asked about what procedures should be followed when government wanted to shut down communications during a crisis.

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Wireless Shutdown Comments

May 01, 2012

Comments by Public Knowledge et al. in response to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry on wireless shutdowns in emergency situations. This file is available as a pdf.