Wireless

AT&T Starts Throttling Unlimited Data Users after 2GB of Monthly Usage

Stevie Converse — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:54:51 -0500

Full article: MacRumors
Arnold Kim
When AT&T announced its plan to start throttling users who are grandfathered into its unlimited data plan, the company said that it would be throttling only the top 5 percent of users. Early reports of affected users had pointed to 10GB-12GB-per-month users as the initially affected. It seems that ceiling has decreased significantly over the past few months, at least for some regions.

Top 1 Percent of Mobile Users Consume Half of World's Bandwidth, and Gap Is Growing

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:39:08 -0500

Full article: New York Times
Kevin J. O'Brien
The world's congested mobile airwaves are being divided in a lopsided manner, with 1 percent of consumers generating half of all traffic. The top 10 percent of users, meanwhile, are consuming 90 percent of wireless bandwidth, a new study says.

AT&T Says It Will Complete Wireless Network Upgrade by the End of 2013

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:09:52 -0500

Full article: Reuters
AT&T is on track to finish its wireless network upgrade with faster mobile Web services by the end of 2013, having exceeded its target for 2011, a top executive said.

Meet the Spectrum Bosses

Stevie Converse — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:37:35 -0500

Full article: GigaOM
Kevin Fitchard
If AT&T-Mo’s failure taught us anything it’s that if the big U.S. operators are going to grow they can’t do it by acquiring each other. Instead they’re going to have to buy up what unused spectrum is left on the market to stockpile bandwidth for their future mobile broadband networks.

Intense Scramble for Mobile Telecom Spectrum

Stevie Converse — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:33:20 -0500

Full article: Financial Times
Paul Taylor
AT&T's failed bid for T-Mobile, coupled with a string of successful deals in recent months, has refocused attention on one of the most pressing issues facing the US mobile telecoms industry -- the scramble for spectrum.

Verizon's Worrisome Cable Deals

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:12:47 -0500

Full article: New York Times
As regulators moved to block the AT&T deal, Verizon Wireless was buying big chunks of spectrum from the nation’s largest cable carriers and signing agreements with them to sell each other’s services to consumers around the country. The potential for these agreements to curtail competition in both wireless and wireline industries is troubling, and should be examined by the Justice Department and the FCC.

An Uproar on the Web Over $2 Fee by Verizon

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:19:19 -0500

Full article: New York Times
Ron Lieber and Brian X. Chen
The Web lit up with howls of protest on Thursday as word of a planned new Verizon Wireless fee spread wildly -- and somewhat inaccurately. The $2 fee, which takes effect Jan. 15, will apply to people who make a one-time credit or debit card payment of their monthly bill on the phone or online.

Victories of People-Powered Lobbying

Stevie Converse — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:17:22 -0400

Full article: SavetheInternet.com
Candace Clement
Over the last two weeks, more than 80 Free Press activists from across the country have met with members of Congress and their staff to provide the public's perspective on a range of media issues -- including the AT&T–T-Mobile merger. In these visits policymakers heard not from lobbyists and lawyers but from people who are impacted by the decisions made in Washington.

Media Minutes: September 2, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:20:55 -0400

The Justice Department delivered good news to consumers when it filed suit to block the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. A coalition of public interest and digital rights groups asked the FCC to declare that the Bay Area Rapid Transit system violated federal law when it shut down its cellphone service. And coverage of presidential candidate Ron Paul seems to be missing in the media, as the mainstream media uses its power to weed out candidates.

DoJ's Lawsuit Blocking AT&T-T-Mobile Merger Welcome News for People of Color

Stevie Converse — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:17:04 -0400

Full article: Huffington Post
Joe Torres
The Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit to block the $39 billion merger between AT&T and T-Mobile is great news for communities of color, who disproportionately rely on wireless service to make phone calls and access the Internet. Hopefully, lawmakers and civil rights groups will reexamine their positions and rescind their support of a merger that is clearly not only bad for our communities but bad for our country.