consumer protections

Does Verizon Cable Deal Spell Death of FiOS Expansion?

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:57:00 -0500

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Verizon's spectrum deal will allow cable operators to offer a compelling quadruple play, without having to worry about the one thing that has driven what passes for competition in their makets the last decade: FiOS. Such a wink-and-handshake noncompete clause warrants investigation. But given the FCC's total disinterest in seriously promoting real landline broadband competition -- consumer advocates probably shouldn't hold their breath.

The Outlook for the FCC and Broadband: Not Good

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:50:57 -0500

Full article: Nieman Watchdog
Bruce Kushnick
There is no force, not the FCC, not Congress, but most especially not competition to drive high-speed broadband services in America at reasonable rates. While we hear of municipalities taking it upon themselves to bypass the dysfunctional incumbent, those aren’t the norm in America. So, as the FCC raises your rates, adds new fees and the phone companies proclaim themselves the masters of the digital universe, it might be time to "Occupy" the FCC.

AT&T Paints Itself As the Underdog in Proposed T-Mobile Merger

Stevie Converse — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:31:42 -0400

Full article: Colorlines
Jamilah King
AT&T has officially filed paperwork with the FCC to go forward with its takeover of T-Mobile. AT&T argues that consumers will lose out if it doesn't merge with T-Mobile: "Absent a solution to this problem, AT&T's customers would face a greater number of blocked and dropped calls as well as less reliable and slower data connections." But consumer advocates aren't buying the company's arguments.

FCC's Consumer Bureau Looks to Get Handle on Actual Broadband Speeds

Stevie Converse — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:26:34 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
Helping consumers get a handle on the actual speeds of their broadband service is likely to be one of the next initiatives out of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Shedding more light on early termination fees for bundled cable services is also on the radar.

FCC Bureau Launches Initiative to Help Consumers Avoid 'Bill Shock'

Stevie Converse — Wed, 12 May 2010 07:58:57 -0400

Full article: Federal Communications Commission
The FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau launched an initiative on "bill shock" -- the experience of getting an unexpectedly high wireless phone bill. The Bureau is seeking input on ways to alert consumers about potential high charges before they add up.

Comcast-NBC Universal Merger Poses Threat to Video Content Diversity

Stevie Converse — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:33:23 -0500

Full article: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
This week on CounterSpin: The Comcast-NBC Universal merger poses very real threats to the diversity of video content we can get and how much we'll have to pay for it. Free Press Policy Counsel Corie Wright discusses the deal and what it means for consumers. (Audio 9:35)

GAO: FCC Needs to Improve Oversight of Wireless Industry

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:36:01 -0500

Full article: ConsumerAffairs.com
Martin H. Bosworth
The FCC is the primary government agency tasked with overseeing the massive telecom industry -- and a report released by the Government Accountability Office claims that the FCC is not doing as good a job as it should of protecting consumers. According to the GAO's survey, "most wireless consumers with problems would not complain to the FCC and many do not know where they could complain."

FCC Seeks Comment on Broadband Measurement and Consumer Transparency

Stevie Converse — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:29:39 -0500

Full article: FCC
The FCC is seeking additional information on whether there are opportunities to protect and empower consumers by ensuring sufficient access to relevant information about communications services.

Telecoms Package: A Missed Opportunity for Citizen's Rights

Stevie Converse — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:58:11 -0500

Full article: La Quadrature du Net
Jeremie Zimmerman
The final text for the European Parliament's telecom reforms is far from satisfactory: While the law includes some consumer protections, it falls short of compensating for the various loopholes and threats to fundamental Internet freedoms that are contained within the text.

Survivor: Bureaucracy

Stevie Converse — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:45:33 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Finally, someone qualified to navigate the backstabbing intrigue of Washington: Yul Kwon, winner of "Survivor: Cook Islands" in 2006, was appointed as deputy chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.