telecommunications

Verizon Unions Strike for Second Day as Contract Talks Stall

Stevie Converse — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:01:37 -0400

Full article: Bloomberg Businessweek
Devin Banerjee
A strike of about 45,000 Verizon Communications Inc. workers continued for a second day as the New York-based phone company struggled to make progress in talks with labor unions, signaling a standoff may be prolonged.

Power to Become White House Telecom Aide

Stevie Converse — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:35:20 -0400

Full article: Politico
Tony Romm
Tom Power, current chief of staff for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will join the White House on Monday as its new deputy chief technology officer for telecommunications.

Telco Managers Admit Being Out of Touch with Customers

Stevie Converse — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:15:57 -0400

Full article: Reuters
Nicola Leske
Telecom network operators acknowledged they are out of touch with customers' wants and are struggling to keep up with user expectations, a survey of industry executives found. Telecom operators have been successful in adjusting prices and offers for voice calls and text messages but have been slow to tap into customer data to tailor their offers to new habits and demands driven by smart phones and tablets.

Big Firms Win in Small-Business Bill

Stevie Converse — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:21:55 -0400

Full article: Wall Street Journal
Martin Vaughn
A Senate bill promoted as a boon to small businesses includes significant tax benefits for large companies, too. The costliest provision in the bill is a tax break for companies that make large capital purchases, including airlines and telecommunications firms. The provision would reduce federal revenue by $5.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Genachowski's First Year Leaves Room for Improvement

Stevie Converse — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:10:34 -0400

Full article: SavetheInternet.com
Derek Turner
Since FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski was sworn in one year ago, the Commission has appeared active, but very little of this activity has resulted in actual policy changes that positively affect the public. At the one-year mark, Free Press is giving the chairman a grade of 'Incomplete, needs improvement' across the board. Genachowski needs to be willing to pursue critical policies that protect consumers, even if the largest telecommunications companies don’t like those policies.

Opponents of Net Neutrality Attending Congressional Telecom Meetings Spend More on Lobbying

Stevie Converse — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:05:00 -0400

Full article: Sunlight Foundation
Paul Blumenthal
Last week, two congressional committees held closed door discussions with 31 representatives from industry and activist groups to discuss writing a new broadband Internet policy. While the meeting contained more proponents of Net Neutrality, opponents of implementing the policy hold a lopsided advantage in lobbying spending and contributing to political campaigns.

Hill Telecom Talks Consider Targeted Broadband Bill

Stevie Converse — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:23:30 -0400

Full article: The Hill
Sara Jerome
Stakeholders at the first congressional meeting on overhauling communications law discussed whether there is room for targeted legislation to clarify broadband regulatory questions. Over 30 stakeholders from across the telecommunications landscape -- including broadband providers, content companies, think tankers, and others -- had a chance to air their views. The process made it clear a bill is far into the future.

Experts Say Wiretap Law Needs Update for Digital Age

Stevie Converse — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:46:57 -0400

Full article: The Hill
Gautham Nagesh
The law that governs when the government can intercept digital communications is outdated and badly in need of an update, a panel of experts told lawmakers. Witnesses said the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which protects citizens' electronic communications while in transit, doesn't address location-based mobile services and other newer technologies.

IBM Survey: Land Lines to Disappear, Mobile Broadband to Explode over Next Decade

Stevie Converse — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:09:40 -0500

Full article: The Hill
Kim Hart
An IBM survey of 8,000 consumers and 60 telecom company executives showed that broadband will continue to evolve and expand while traditional communications infrastructure -- those copper lines we've used to make phone calls for decades -- will rapidly disappear.

ALEC's Telecom Plot Thickens

Stevie Converse — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:06:21 -0500

Full article: National Journal
Julie Kosterlitz
Ties to the telecom industry in ALEC's leadership run deep. The largest campaign contributor to the elected official who serves as ALEC's board chairman, Tom Craddick, during the 2008 election cycle turns out to be AT&T. ALEC's chief, Alan Smith, was abruptly fired last week without explanation.