A significant outage is impacting Time Warner Cable Digital Voice customers from North Carolina to California, according to user posts in our Time Warner Cable forum. According to the company, 911 voice calls are still being completed, but all other services do not work. "There’s a technical issue preventing a limited number of our home phone customers from placing or receiving calls on an intermittent basis," the company said in a statement. "Our engineers are working on the problem to restore service as quickly as possible." The company has refused to get specific about exactly what "technical issue" they're facing. Time Warner Cable provides digital voice service to around 5 million customers.

Comcast told one DC-area grandmother that she could no longer be a Comcast Internet Voice subscriber after she cast an immense amount of votes for an "American Idol" contestant. According to local DC Fox affiliate Fox 5, Comcast sent the notification after the woman called the "American Idol" hotline "several hundred times in an hour." The 72-year-old woman was confused by the termination letter because Comcast advertises its Digital Voice service as unlimited, a word that generally means the exact opposite in telecommunications markets. After the letter was publicized, Comcast claimed the termination notice was sent in error but reiterated their right to warn or terminate excessive voice users.

• Google Fiber could bring superfast Internet to every town in America, but for now the company is thinking small [slate.com]
• 4G Smartphone Usage Up 70% Among Small Businesses [cellphonedigest.net]
• Apple proposes 'on-the-go' wireless charging via iPad Smart Cover with built-in battery [appleinsider.com]
• Google Pulls Several Prominent Ad-Blocking Apps From Play Store For Violating Developer Distribution Agreement [techcrunch.com]
• FinSpy Software Used To Surveil Activists Around The World [huffingtonpost.com]
• With User Profiles Still In Testing, Netflix’s Social Sharing Feature Makes No Sense [techcrunch.com]
• Blue Coat, Skype and QQ named despots' best friends - Reporters Without Borders slams "enemies of the internet" [theregister.co.uk]
• What's most important? Bandwidth over kilo-miles, or milli-watts? IBM, AT&T brainboxes beg to differ [theregister.co.uk]
• Rumor Mill: T-Mobile to launch handset trade-in program in shift to Value plans [fiercewireless.com]
• Networking Battles to Run the World [nytimes.com]
• Google Hastens to Show Its Concern for Privacy [nytimes.com]

*For more interesting links to broadband and related tech news from DSLReports.com & other sites throughout the day, follow me on Twitter @ChrisBBReports!*

• Verizon to use cable spectrum for LTE starting this year [cnet.com]
• Fears over spectrum shortage allayed by HSPA+ and LTE [fiercewireless.com]
• Point Topic Claim Residential Demand for 1Gbps Fibre Broadband is Low [ispreview.co.uk]
• Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Z10 goes on sale March 28th, pre-orders begin tomorrow [theverge.com]
• LTE Market Nearly Doubling in 2013 [businesswire.com]
• Fast, unlimited wireless at last? What a combined T-Mobile-MetroPCS means to you [theverge.com]
• Wireless carriers stand to make a killing by tracking your every move [bgr.com]
• More Hotels Embrace Free Wi-Fi in Lobbies [newsfactor.com]
• Security Leader Says U.S. Would Retaliate Against Cyberattacks [nytimes.com]
• Samsung Targets Galaxy 4 at Apple’s Core IPhone Market [bloomberg.com]
• Verizon Wireless making a push for global LTE roaming [fiercewireless.com]

*For more interesting links to broadband and related tech news from DSLReports.com & other sites throughout the day, follow me on Twitter @ChrisBBReports!*

• Fiber to drive global broadband revenue growth to 2018 [telecoms.com]
• No cash for broadband: Europe's super-fast future torpedoed by budget cuts [zdnet.com]
• Hold off updating your iPhone 4S to iOS 6.1, European carriers warn customers [gigaom.com]
• AT&T: We didn't execute well on T-Mobile deal [fiercewireless.com]
• United Airlines adds Wi-Fi for overseas flights [latimes.com]
• Cellular carriers seek smooth handoffs from LTE to 3G [pcworld.com]
• Google: Self-driving cars in 3-5 years. Feds: Not so fast [extremetech.com]
• At least two-thirds mobile traffic will be video by 2017, Total mobe data shifted doubled during 2012 - Cisco report [theregister.co.uk]
• IP Address Snapshots Not Sufficient Evidence To File Infringement Suit; Prenda Lawyer Faces Sanctions [techdirt.com]
• NTIA will hand out $121.5M to aid FirstNet effort [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• Vehicles and mobility are converging but fragmentation, lack of standards may hinder progress [fiercewireless.com]

*For more interesting links to broadband and related tech news from DSLReports.com & other sites throughout the day, follow me on Twitter @ChrisBBReports!*

A new update for the Facebook Messaging app for iOS devices now allows users to place voice calls to people in their friend list without using plan minutes (though you'll of course still consume cellular data). The company has been testing the functionality in Canada since early this month, and is now deploying the feature to U.S. users starting today. It's services like this one that will inevitably erode wireless carrier SMS and voice revenues, which is why AT&T and Verizon recently switched to shared data plans (read: they jacked up the price of data). Non cellular devices can use it too; any iPad or iPod Touch running iOS 4.3 or higher can now be used to make calls to Facebook friends.

A new security vulnerability has been found in Skype that allows anyone to change your password and take control of your Skype account. First posted to a Russian Internet forum several months ago, The Next Web says they've tested the five step hack and have confirmed that it works.

The Wall Street Journal has realized that ISPs jack up the cost of standalone Internet so users are less likely to ditch bundled television or phone services. This is something most of you have known for years of course, with many carriers charging more for just broadband than they often do for promotional bundles.

Users in our VoIP Provider forum indicate that Callcentric has been suffering from severe connectivity issues since the beginning of this month. Users in the forum first started reporting issues on October 3, and the company began investigating issues on October 4.

According to a post over at the Skype blog, the company has started injecting advertisements into video conversations for users who do not have Skype Credit or subscriptions when they're making 1:1 Skype-to-Skype audio calls using Skype for Windows. According to the company's marketing speak, the change will allow people to "have meaningful conversations about brands in a highly engaging environment."

Again, it looks like the ads will only hit those without Skype credit, and users can opt out of the behavioral-angle of the ads here. The marketing pitch for this new effort is so cheesy it reads like it's almost satire, and is worth sharing for its awfulness:Excited yet about having new "brand experiences"?

Okay, okay, landlines (even in the form of VoIP) have fallen out of style, but for those that do rely on them, such as business owners, they can’t imagine life without them. Whatever your reason for wanting to maintain a phone other than your cell phone, finding the right service provider for your needs can be quite a daunting task.

• The Great Bandwidth Brawl [technologyreview.com]
• Atlantic Broadband Said To Seek Sale, Could Fetch $1.4 Billion [bloomberg.com]
• European Commission Pledges to Stiffen ISP Net Neutrality Rules [ispreview.com]
• Flame: The Skype-Sniffing, Bluetooth-Enabled Super Spy Tool Is A Harbinger [fastcompany.com]
• Is this the beginning of the end for RIM? [cnet.com]
• Netflix agrees to delete data on ex-customers [paidcontent.org]
• Silicon backdoor: not an international crisis: Researcher’s second lesson: how to troll the entire Internet [theregister.co.uk]
• How Much Would It Cost To Pre-Screen YouTube Videos? About $37 Billion Per Year... [techdirt.com]
• Splitting data, video charges could tame the video 'beast' [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• Jury rules stiffen in wireless age [palmbeachpost.com]
• Europe risks turning into ‘Digital Desert by shying away from investing in networks, widening the gap with the US [businessweek.com]

• Will Apple or Google Buy Sprint to Break Into the Wireless Network Biz? [ecommercetimes.com]
• Canadian banks issue landmark NFC payments guidelines that focus on open mobile wallets and consumer data protection [nfcworld.com]
• Nationwide wireless emergency text alert system launching this month [ubergizmo.com]
• Why is UK ISP TalkTalk’s year-old porn filter suddenly big news? [pcpro.co.uk]
• New Report Lists Top 10 Legitimate Sites Blocked by UK Adult Content Filters [ispreview.co.uk]
• Amped Wireless Unveils the Industry's Most Powerful, Long Range, Indoor Wi-Fi Solution [yahoo.com]
• LightSquared’s bankruptcy is Washington’s failure too [gigaom.com]
• Bell Mobility hit with $100-million class-action lawsuit alleging that expiry dates on its pre-paid wireless services are illegal [cbc.ca]
• Clearwire: Our LTE Advanced network will be able to hit 168 Mbps [fiercewireless.com]
• FBI Sounds Alarm on Hotel WiFi Caper [technewsworld.com]
• Why Anonymous ‘might well be the most powerful organization on Earth’ [nationalpost.com]

• FCC launches mobile broadband subsidy to cover more areas [ubergizmo.com]
• White spaces and happy faces: TV stations drop lawsuit against "super WiFi" [arstechnica.com]
• Virgin Media blocks millions of users from accessing Pirate Bay [cbronline.com]
• UK Government Faces £1.1 Billion Broadband Funding Shortfall [techweekeurope.co.uk]
• Google's Street View Snooping: Congressman Wants Investigation [networkworld.com]
• Gartner: Multi-Device Wireless Plans on the Way [cio.com]
• Boingo and Transit Wireless to bring WiFi to NYC subway [slashgear.com]
• Microsoft Researchers say cybercrime loss estimates are a bunch of bunk [networkworld.com]
• Judge: An IP-Address Doesn’t Identify a Person (or BitTorrent Pirate) [torrentfreak.com]
• Google's Fiber Makes MPAA Skittish. Why Does Hollywood See All Technology In Terms Of Piracy? [techdirt.com]
• Side Effect of Wireless Broadband Soft Caps: Death? [networkworld.com]
• Man seeks more than $5m in class suit against Apple for alleged ‘double-billing’ in iTunes [thenextweb.com]

• Iran To Shut Down Internet Permanently; 'Clean' National Intranet In Pipeline [ibtimes.com]
• New York hotel stops its WiFi network from inserting code [neowin.net]
• Fifth-Generation Wi-Fi Is Coming: Are You Ready for 802.11ac? [pcworld.com]
• Behind the NetflixPAC: a broadband power play [gigaom.com]
• Wireless Carriers Join Forces To Build Database Of Stolen Phones [huffingtonpost.com]
• CSIRO patent trolls all of America [theregister.co.uk]
• No, Netflix Has NOT Formed A Pro-SOPA SuperPAC [techdirt.com]
• FCC says Boston can regulate Comcast cable rates [fiercecable.com]
• Chrysler announces industry-first in-vehicle wireless charging system [bgr.com]
• AT&T extends union talks after deadline, avoids strike [totaltele.com]

• Think 4G is 10 times faster? Think again [gigaom.com]
• Move over SOPA & PIPA, here comes CISPA [digitaljournal.com]
• The Internet is ruining your brain [shortlist.com]
• How to budget megabytes becomes urgemt for users [nytimes.com]
• 'Don't break the internet': How an idiot's slogan stole your privacy [theregister.co.uk]
• iPad Wi-Fi issues may be linked to power management [computerworld.com]
• Ruling in YouTube case could lead to a "new way to attack" content-sharing services [multichannel.com]
• Unlocked iPhones from AT&T may benefit FreedomPop and H2O [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• LTE becoming an M2M prerequisite [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• Hotel Caught Injecting Banner Ads on “Complimentary” Wi-Fi Network [maximunpc.com]
• Is the BlackBerry on the Verge of Downfall? [techvert.com]

• Arizona Politicians Scramble To Adjust Internet Censorship Bill After The Internet Mocks Them For Being Clueless [huffingtonpost.com]
• Verizon dominates today, but which operators will lead in 2016? [fiercewireless.com]
• Obvious Alert: LTE will spur data demand, claim UK mobile retailers [fiercewireless.com]
• MPAA Pretends Dodd Didn't Say That New SOPA Negotiations Were Underway [techdirt.com]
• Former Cybersecurity Czar Thinks DHS Should Spy On All Internet Traffic Crossing Our Borders [nytimes.com]
• Comcast launching HBO Go on Xbox 'early next week' [theverge.com]
• Low-latency networks aren’t just for Wall Street anymore [gigaom.com]
• AT&T to unlock off-contract iPhones starting April 8 [slashgear.com]
• Top secret AT&T HTC One X surfaces, sold on eBay [cnet.com]
• 5 charged for taking teen's kidney in return for iPhone, iPad [cnet.com]
• Is the SMS stronghold being crumbled by slick upstarts? [fiercewireless.com]

As we noted yesterday, Verizon has decided to wind the clock back to 2005 and will no longer sell DSL services to new users without a landline. Worse perhaps, users on existing standalone DSL lines will be forced to add voice service (whether they wanted it or not) if they make changes to their existing service.

• Cable vs. Tellco: Verizon-Cable industry stop competing, forced to collude [broadbandconvergent.com]
• MPAA chief: SOPA and Protect IP back from the grave? [cnet.com]
• LTE-A Will Add to Mobile Broadband Confusion, Heavy Reading Reports [sacbee.com]
• Q4: ILECs bulked up on video, business and broadband [fiercetelecom.com]
• TWC Kansas City: We Have DOCSIS 3 - We're Ready For Google Fiber [multichannel.com]
• Google tablet delayed until July, is Wi-Fi-only [CNet UK]
• Sprint set to offer cure for poor wireless voice quality [computerworld.com]
• New 'Scoreboard' ranks top 20 global operator groups by mobile connections [fiercewireless.com]
• Political expedience on 700 MHz trumps physics, revenue and consumer interests [fiercewireless.com]
• The limitless possibilities of Bluetooth 4.0 [cnet.com]

• With LTE on deck, India primes to leapfrog U.S. in mobile broadband rankings [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• Are Broadband Markets Stagnating? [forbes.com]
• A quarter of the world's households now have Wi-Fi [macworld.com]
• T-Mobile: We use spectrum 50% more efficiently than Verizon in top markets [fiercewireless.com]
• Verizon challenges other carriers' network speeds in '4G throw down' [fiercewireless.com]
• AT&T’s Wi-Fi experiment: Watch ads, get access [gigaom.com]
• Viacom's anti-Google copyright case rises from the dead [theregister.co.uk]
• Geotargeting And The Slippery Slope To Fragmenting The Internet With Localized Censorship [techdirt.com]
• Clearwire, NetZero 4G and the coverage quandary [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• Dish hoping to receive FCC go-ahead by summer's end [fiercebroadbandwireless.com]
• New York State Attorney General Announces Purge of Sex Offenders From Online Games [forbes.com]
• Comcast, TWC Still Bullish On Interactive TV [multichannel.com]