"After more than two weeks of dismemberment, disembowelment, and all-around good family fun, this year’s Worst Company In America tournament nears its finale, with only four contenders remaining with a chance at claiming the ultimate victory and clutching the Golden Poo," proclaims the Consumerist website. The site's Worst Company in America award has come down to Comcast, Ticketmaster, EA, and Bank of America. For the second year running, AT&T has caught a break by being matched up against the even-more-disliked EA, who could be propelled to victory this year on the back of their SimCity DRM launch debacle. AT&T's decision to hang up on DSL users and con several states into becoming broadband backwaters apparently isn't quite the same headline grabber as crappy game DRM and obnoxious in-game microtransactions.
The last few months have seen several leaks that suggest the next Xbox will require an "always on" broadband connection as a way to counter both piracy and used game sales. Microsoft isn't commenting, but the news -- if true -- is angering a lot of possible customers with they botched launches of Diablo 3 and SimCity (both requiring always-on connections) freshly in mind.
While Google's principles may have slid sideways in recent years (their selling out on net neutrality being exhibit A) the company does appear to be putting up a good fight against the government's use of national security letters (NSLs). We've covered for several years the growing use (or in a significant number of proven cases, the abuse) of NSLs, which allow the government to obtain personal user records from ISPs (or banks and other companies), then involve a gag order against the company preventing them from ever mention it -- all with no judicial review.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple is getting ready to fire up production of two new iPhone models: an updated successor to the iPhone 5, and a smaller, cheaper iPhone to be aimed squarely at more cost-conscious users. Details are scarce, though sources tell the Journal the iPhone 5 successor (iPhone 5S?) should start production in the second quarter for a summer launch. The less-expensive iPhone also being produced may come in a variety of colors but will likely use "a different casing from the higher-end iPhone" and possibly come in a variety of colors.
Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam today stated the company is watching T-Mobile's no contract pricing with great interest, and that Verizon will offer no contract wireless if consumers start clamoring for it. T-Mobile is offering users less expensive data plans but no phone subsidies -- users for example paying $100 down for the iPhone 5 and an additional $20 per month for 24 months.
The FCC still has around $185 million out of the $300 million broadband funds available from phase one of their Connect America Fund, dedicated to shoring up broadband coverage gaps. While companies like Frontier took $71.9 million to wire some 92,000 homes, other companies like Windstream balked at taking full funding, saying that getting $775 per install wasn't enough for their liking.
Time Warner Cable hasn't been exactly what you'd call a hero when it comes to furthering national broadband deployment. The company was behind bills in both North and South Carolina banning or hindering towns and cities from deploying their own broadband, even when nobody else will.
Last month I noted how CISPA was likely returning for a second try, despite complaints that the bill would significantly erode consumer privacy and expand Internet activity surveillance under the guise of "cybersecurity." Sponsor Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger insisted he was working on fixing the bill so it addressed the concerns of privacy advocates, then immediately proceeded in re-introducing a completely unchanged version of the original. Now the bill is heading to Congress for a closed door debate so that the public can't point out how awful the bill is -- again. About that whole Congress supposedly working for the people thing...
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.
Around a thousand people submitted this mock ad for "the first honest cable company" to our news queue, and if you haven't seen it yet it's rather amusing. There is some not-safe-for-work-or-kids-or-the-easily-offended language in it, so if you're averse to a little swearing please just keep on walking.
For some time now rumors have suggested that Verizon was trying to buy out UK wireless carrier Vodafone's 45% stake in Verizon Wireless after talks of a full merger stalled last December. In an interestering twist, anonymous sources tell the Financial Times that Verizon is now working in conjunction with AT&T to buy Vodafone outright.
The Navajo Nation is putting the finishing touches on a $46 million broadband improvement project that will connect 30,000 households and 1,000 businesses to improved broadband services. According to Farmington, New Mexico Daily Times, the upgrades are in-large-part thanks to a $32.2 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with $11.3 million provided by the local utility, and another $2.2 million provided by a regional ISP by the name of Commnet. In addition to wiring homes and businesses, the 550 new miles of fiber and 32 new towers (so far) will help serve 1,100 community institutions, including public safety, health, social services and emergency care facilities.
Back in May of 2011 we were the first to exclusively report that AT&T would be imposing usage caps on the company's DSL and U-Verse users. Users were told DSL users would see a cap of 150 GB a month and U-Verse users would see a cap of 250 GB a month -- with both sets of users paying $10 for every additional 50 GB of data they use.
Consumer Reports has released their annual rankings of the best providers when it comes to triple play services. The survey of 84,000 Consumer Reports readers measures broadband speed and reliability, TV picture and reliability, and phone call quality and reliability -- and is featured in the May issue of the magazine.
Streaming OTA video provider Aereo this week saw another major win in their fight against broadcasters looking to shut the service down. Fox network founder Barry Diller started Aereo trials last year in New York City, the service offering users a $12 a month option for local broadcast television services -- adding an interesting and inexpensive option for those eager to cut the cord.
The Supreme Court this week ruled for Comcast in a case that was levied against the company alleging they'd intentionally created a monopoly in the Philadelphia area -- then jacked up prices to punitive levels (we've been talking about the case since it was filed in 2003). According to the decision (pdf), the ruling fell along the usual 5-4 partisan lines.
Antennas manufacturer Antennas Direct is angry at Charter Communications because it claims Charter has banned the company from advertising to Charter's customers. According to the company, Charter refused to run a sixty second ad in the St.
Despite the fact that Google Glass isn't even launched yet, West Virginia lawmakers are getting ready to pass a law banning people from using Glass while driving. State lawmakers have already been working on new laws that ban texting while driving, so Gary Howell (R-Mineral) is updating the law so that it also covers "a computing device which is worn on the head and projects visual information into the field of vision of the wearer." Google, for its part, is trying to argue that Google Glass could make drivers safer:
"We are putting a lot of thought into the design of Glass because new technologies always raise new issues," a Google spokesperson wrote to Ars. "We actually believe there is tremendous potential to improve safety on our roads and reduce accidents. As always, feedback is welcome."
While the potential for driver distraction might be significant, West Virginia probably has more important things to worry about than passing regulations governing a niche product few people will actually be able to afford at $1,500 a pop. This is the state currently investigating its own incompetence and corruption after state leaders wasted $126.3-million in broadband funding on un-used, overpriced routers and redundant, overpaid consultants, in the process lining Cisco and Verizon's pockets with no-bid contracts.
AT&T this week was forced to pay $27.5 million in damages for violating a Colorado company’s patents for streaming online video and audio. According to Bloomberg, AT&T’s U-verse TV services infringed two patents owned by Two-Way Media LLC -- one of which covered content streaming, and the other of which allows for the tracking of consumer use of those streams. "While the verdict was a small fraction of what the plaintiff sought in this case, we will challenge the amount that was awarded," AT&T said in a prepared statement. AT&T's battle with Two-Way has been ongoing since 2008, when Two-Way sued AT&T, Akamai, and Limelight Networks (the latter two companies settled).
