Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

God Doesn't Want Teachers to Get Raises, Says Lawmaker It should be a calling, adds Alabama official »

AT&T Asks Employees to Slam Net Neutrality

And don't say you work here, memo advises

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 20, 2009 3:33 PM CDT

(Newser) – With the FCC holding a meeting Thursday to decide whether to give the green light to “net neutrality”—the principle of universal access to bandwidth—AT&T is stepping up its PR war. In a memo from senior exec James Cicconi, employees are asked to post anti-neutrality comments on an FCC forum. Cicconi specifies that they should do so from a personal email account—to hide the fact that they are AT&T employees, writes Tim Karr on SavetheInternet.com.

The memo also supplies a list of talking points against net neutrality, including a claim that it would “jeopardize efforts to deliver high-speed Internet services to every American.” AT&T must be getting desperate, says Karr. The firm is asking employees to be “doubly deceptive" here: hiding their identities while posting comments that aren’t theirs. Click the second link to see the AT&T memo.

The AT&T logo is seen on it's headquarters in San Antonio, Monday, April 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski testifies on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, file)

The AT&T logo. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

How Siri Could Hurt Everyone's Cell Service

She's a giant 'bandwidth guzzler': Paul Farhi

(NEWSER) - Siri is knowledgeable, convenient, even funny—but she has a dark side. "Siri’s dirty little secret is that she’s a bandwidth guzzler, the digital equivalent of a 10-miles-per-gallon Hummer H1," writes Paul Farhi in the Washington Post . Indeed, the iPhone 4S, which brought us Siri, uses twice the data of the regular iPhone 4, and almost three times that of the 3G, a study found, saying the Siri-equipped 4S "appears to unleash data consumption behaviors that have no precedent.” More»

AT&T: Forget T-Mobile Merger

Wireless giant ends $39B bid to buy T-Mobile

(AP) - AT&T Inc. said today that it is ending its $39 billion bid to buy T-Mobile USA after facing fierce government objections. The cell phone giant said that the actions of the US government to block the deal do not change the challenges of the wireless phone industry, which it says requires more airwaves, known as spectrum, to expand. The deal would have solved that problem for a time, and without it, "customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled," AT&T said in a statement. More»

AT&T, T-Mobile Withdraw Merger Bid (for Now)

They yank application from FCC but haven't given up on the deal

(NEWSER) - AT&T and T-Mobile have unexpectedly withdrawn their merger application from FCC consideration. While the move hints at trouble for the $39 billion deal, the companies say they’re not giving up, Politico reports. Instead, they’ll focus on getting approval from the Justice Department—either by winning an antitrust lawsuit against the proposed deal lodged by the department or through a settlement. Still, AT&T is, for the first time, acknowledging that things could go wrong for the deal. More»

FCC Moves to Block T-Mobile, AT&T Merger

Which means the government will have two cracks at stopping the deal

(NEWSER) - AT&T thought its muscular lobbying operation would ensure regulatory approval of its deal to buy T-Mobile , but it’s not working out that way. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski moved to block the merger yesterday, giving the government a second chance to break up the sale should an antitrust suit from the Justice Department fail, the Washington Post reports. It’s a surprising move, because the FCC hasn’t tried to block a merger since 2002. More»

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

(NEWSER) - Wireless carriers call for minimum regulations on their industry, claiming their market is competitive. But with consumers bound by two-year contracts, it’s easy for companies like Verizon and AT&T to take advantage. It’s time for the FCC to get serious about protecting wireless users, the editors of the New York Times write. The agency can start by curbing early termination fees on contracts to give consumers more power to shop around. Text messaging provides another disturbing example. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

AT&T Asks Employees to Slam Net Neutrality

And don't say you work here, memo advises

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

FCC • net neutrality • AT&T • bandwidth

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

How Siri Could Hurt Everyone's Cell Service

She's a giant 'bandwidth guzzler': Paul Farhi

AT&T: Forget T-Mobile Merger

Wireless giant ends $39B bid to buy T-Mobile

AT&T, T-Mobile Withdraw Merger Bid (for Now)

They yank application from FCC but haven't given up on the deal

FCC Moves to Block T-Mobile, AT&T Merger

Which means the government will have two cracks at stopping the deal

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

AT&T Asks Employees to Slam Net Neutrality

And don't say you work here, memo advises

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

FCC • net neutrality • AT&T • bandwidth

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

How Siri Could Hurt Everyone's Cell Service

She's a giant 'bandwidth guzzler': Paul Farhi

AT&T: Forget T-Mobile Merger

Wireless giant ends $39B bid to buy T-Mobile

AT&T, T-Mobile Withdraw Merger Bid (for Now)

They yank application from FCC but haven't given up on the deal

FCC Moves to Block T-Mobile, AT&T Merger

Which means the government will have two cracks at stopping the deal

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?