FreeMyPhone News
AT&T’s Non-Existent Network
In an earlier blog post, I discussed AT&T’s failure to adequately perform basic maintenance on its wireless network. First-generation iPhone users were stuck on an extremely slow network built years earlier that failed to offer customers anything approaching acceptable service quality.
No Contract, No Subsidy
Two bits of news from the last couple of days point to a new trend: unsubsidized phones being offered without contracts. While these phones cost a pretty penny upfront, not being forced into a contract — and having the freedom to switch from carrier to carrier — is sounding mighty attractive these days.
Some news on the open wireless Internet:
AT&T's (Almost) Laughable Wireless Coverage
It seems a day doesn’t go by without news of some fresh controversy breaking about the iPhone. The latest brouhaha concerns Verizon’s new ads targeting AT&T’s inferior 3G coverage.
The Myth of the Competitive Wireless Market
Our wireless services are shackled. Hefty early-termination penalties, hidden overage fees, exclusive deals for wireless devices, loopholes in roaming regulations, and other problems are crying out for solutions.
Gee, Contracts Are So Confusing!
This weekend, the New York Times’ Saul Hansell wrote a piece that could have been written by AT&T’s PR department.
Sen. Klobuchar: Verizon’s Fees Are Anti-Consumer
It's good to see that Congress is waking up to Verizon's outrageous early-termination fees, which were recently doubled to $350 for "advanced devices" (read: smart phones).
Today, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) expressed her opposition to the fee, calling it "anti-competitive and anti-consumer."
Verizon Doubles Early Termination Fees
You know those early termination fees wireless carriers charge? The ones that cost you an arm and a leg to cancel your contract?
If you're a Verizon customer, I hope you have a few arms and legs to spare. Early termination fees are about to go up.
AT&T Customers Can Expect Even Higher Fees
AT&T is threatening to punish customers by imposing higher fees on users who consume more data through its wireless service.
Head of AT&T Mobility Ralph de la Vega claims that a small minority of customers is responsible for the majority of data usage:
The Buzz about Wireless Internet
The Chairman of the FCC just name-checked the iPhone, Palm Pre and BlackBerry in a speech. Welcome to 2009, Mr. Chairman!
Here's the text, from Chairman Julius Genachowski's speech at the annual CTIA trade show:
AT&T Opens Up, a Little
As we briefly mentioned yesterday, AT&T has agreed to allow its customers to make calls with VoIP apps over its 3G network.
This is a very big deal. In a just released statement, Free Press' research director Derek Turner said the following:
