FCC to investigate AT&T, Verizon for anti-competitive behavior

[codybear]

Originally Posted by syanni85

eventually, everything is going to turn to Cricket's system... and i believe thats how alot of Europe is doing it right now. You'll have to pay full price on phones, but if a phone is released on another carrier, you don't have any cancellation fees and you can just port your number over.

I think the FCC is doing the right thing and keeping the competition as fair as possible.

sure, AT&T and Verizon have MUCH better networks than t-mobile and cricket (meaning you get what you pay for), but with out those other companies showing you that cellular service doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, there wouldn't have been questionable issues stirring up the FCC

Cricket actually doesn't have too bad of service out here.
They're phones are crappy, but they actually have pretty good service out here now.
I remember when they first started and their aim was to create a wireless home phone. haha.
(atleast in my neighborhood that's what they said.)

Originally Posted by Geekcop

Not surprised. The wireless carriers step on their ****s every so often, the FCC will investigate, fine the wrongdoer (who will in turn pass the costs on to us), and life will go on.

hahaha. Gotta love Capitalistic America.
I'm not even sure if they'll get a fine,
the two companies will prolly give a kickback to those investigating...
I should go to work for the FCC haha.

Originally Posted by tech

and i bet soon that att and vz will merge and sprint and tmobile make only 2 gobi networks in the usa

Well technically they won't be able to do that. Not merge anyways.
It will become a HUGE monopoly(not like verizon isn't already),
but one way to get around that is to keep the companies separate,
but be subsidiaries of each other.
Meaning basically that they're merged behind the scenes.
Another point for Capitalistic America!! Woo!

[p-slim]

I for one can't figure out one reason to want to go to verizon or at&t. if it is cheaper at sprint and my internet is faster then at&ts and my phone isn't crippled like verizon why would i want to leave? Unlike most people i don't see a reason to call and harrass my cell phone carrier. They tell me how much it is, they tell me when i can upgrade, why would i expect anything else. When my bill comes i pay it. True sprint customer sucks because they don't bend over backwards for their customers but they provide a service that hasn't let me down yet. And if i don't have problems with my service why the hell would i want to call customer care, unless i'm trying to get something i'm not suppose to, like an early upgrade. then when they don't give it to me am i suppose to be upset? of course not. People who don't call customer care at all (like myself cause why would i want to talk to them) usually have no problems with sprint and are happier because their plans are cheaper and they do have the fastest network.

[jpwhre]

in a way i'm sorry, and in a way i'm not. wait 2 years before you are allowed to upgrade? heavy fees to drop a company that already charges way to much to start with. as posted before, you get what you pay for. hookers arn't cheap, the more you want done, the more it will cost you. and you keep going back. i started out me cell service a good 12 years back with us west/quest 2 lines $70 a month. after way too many monts of $200,$300,$400 a month bills for hidden this and hidden that, i changed to sprint. wap was just getting started, but i declined the service to keep my bill down. after sprint updated my service, and my phone to wap (at my request) it took almost 8 months to get my (sprint done) bricked phone replaced, while i still continued to pay the bill. After i went cricket, they had unlimited talk and text with voicemail in a limited area. As the service and options upgraded, the price went down. from $70 a mont to talk to $45 a month now with unlimited talk, text, net, long distance, caller id, unlimited 411, way larger coverage area, change my phone as many times a week as i want, insurance that covers me to walk in to store and drop my phone in salseperson soda a nd still cover it. and service that no other carrier can compair too, and yet my bill just gets lower and lower. cricket is the underdog, that is just watching the big name carriers screw their customer clientel. yet you go back to see how much cash you can give sprint, att,altell just to make your wallet fit in your pocket better.

it's like that one dog people know about. the one that gets kicked in the face every day his master comes home from work, yet every day he sits by the door waiting for master to come in, hoping that day will be differant. that is why i don't feel sorry. there is too many sitting at the door of the big name carriers, hoping today will be differant. until the masses take a stand, it will never change.

it goes a long way. 16 months ago i could get anything from here and get it to work on cricket. times are changing. one day i will need my sprint account info to log on. those finding it harder and harder to get things here to work on their non sprint devices know what i mean.

[Genjinaro]

Originally Posted by Magoo_215

I glad to have Sprint... We dont go thru this madness all fair and square over here.

Ditto,

I never got/understood how one could like Verizon, if I had to use them I would but never as a choice, they charge you more $$$ and offer no flexibility.

AT&T is ok but unless I want the iPhone its a pointless move, their 3G could be better, the HSDPA is a far cry from the European HSDPA speeds.

I like Sprint as I feel they are the better of the big 4 but if Cricket ever gains faster 3G (Rev A) & network coverage, not to mention porting the Hero; I wouldn't hesitate to leave. Cricket is a shining example of what I want in a telco.

[GoodThings2Life]

I love it.

The FCC establishes all sorts of BS regulations on the telco industry as a whole, and the carriers are slow to build up their networks as a result. This limits the number of customers they can make money off of, so in response they come up with this idea of exclusivity and increased charges to compensate a need for more money (forget what your hippy college professors preach, this is America, people, profit and competition are a GOOD thing for everyone).

Then, customers complain because businesses are doing what business always do... making money based on customer demand for a product... but not really doing anything to improve and innovate. So we complain, and the FCC steps in again...

The FCC comes back and says, "OK, you're guilty of xxx, so we're going to regulate you some more!" Carriers fight back for a while, but ultimately helpless to the FCC says, "Grrrr, fine, you win... we'll do as you ask," but there's a catch... what they want costs money, so instead the rates actually go up by way of taxes... you know, when you look at your bill and it says "FCC/Federal/State/Local Taxes". Yeah, that's what all that is.

The answer, of course, is everyone telling the FCC to go frak themselves, but that'll never happen because it's just not cool to be capitalist right now. It's all about the miracle that is socialism and big government regulation.

Pity. We could be much more better off without the so-called level playing field.

[willysp]

Don't understand why you have a 'frowny face' icon on the OP. How is this not good news for the consumer?

[BigDiesel07]

Originally Posted by willysp

Don't understand why you have a 'frowny face' icon on the OP. How is this not good news for the consumer?

The fact that this behavior occurred in the first place is sad.. Then the fact that this behavior has gone on for a prolonged period of time without the FCC noting it is sad...

[dbord_n]

Originally Posted by verizonguy

That's only partially true. If you want to get a new device from vzw at a discount that's true, but you can buy the device elsewhere like on ebay, then you can swap your device using *228 without having to change your plan to activate the device, effectively circumventing the requirement to change plans.

I did this when I bought my Touch Pro on ebay.

but i have heard that verizon is not letting phones such as the touch pro be imported to there systems unless it is a verizon brand. so i can't buy a sprint phone and then activate it on verizon. i would asume the same would be true for the touch pro 2. FYI don't let verizon tell you that a veriozn phone will not work with an alltel plan cause i have a piece of crap ozone that is going to be replaced with a blackberry tour, and they are both verizon phones and i still get to keep my alltel plan. this was not an upgrad but a lemon ploicy switch out so im not sure if that is it but you can fight em and keep your alltel plan.

[TRUELIGHT]

Disallowing of competing services on your network, if a customer is already paying for your network, is Unlawful!

The Federal Communications Commission this week plans to start digging in on wireless, with the goal of strengthening consumer protection.
The FCC's probe, expected to be discussed Thursday at its regular meeting, has three parts: One will examine wireless competition;
the second will look at barriers to entry and investment; the third will focus on consumer billing, including wireless contracts.
USA TODAY,

http://content.usatoday.com/topics/t...ons+Commission

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/a...gle-voice-fro/

This could be a very important time for US cellular service. with a newly appointed FCC commissioner, Awareness in congress.
something in the wind, and for the US consumer I hope that something is change, change in the way the big 3 do business.

[budney]

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