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

McCains Get Free Cell Towers at Ranch

Ethics lawyers cite his Senate post overseeing telecom industry

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 16, 2008 12:01 AM CDT

(Newser) – Verizon and AT&T provided portable cell phone towers to John McCain's Arizona ranch free of charge soon after he launched his presidential bid, the Washington Post reports. The companies say it's a unique situation—a modern candidate has to be plugged in, after all—... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Washington Post (Source Grid »)

McCain talks about the economy with Hillary
Politico

All eyes on final debate
Washington Post

Politics • Entertainment

ethics • John McCain • Verizon • Cindy McCain • cell phone towers • AT&T

More Newser Stories

Cell Coverage Brings Deadly Risk for Tower Climbers

50 workers died between 2003 and 2011

(NEWSER) - Next time someone is carping about spotty cell coverage, keep in mind this investigation by ProPublica and PBS' Frontline: Fifty tower climbers died in accidents between 2003 and 2011 as the industry raced to get everyone connected. A slew of factors contributes, from inadequate training, to shoddy equipment, to a cowboy culture among workers that embraces drugs and alcohol on the job in combination with daredevil risks, to on-site supervisors giving tacit approval to take shortcuts in order to meet ever-rising demand. More»

AT&T Customers Stunned by 'Unlimited Data' Limit

Top data users find smartphones 'throttled'

(NEWSER) - AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans in 2010, but some of the customers who already had the plans are finding "unlimited" doesn't necessarily mean what they thought it meant. AT&T has started "throttling" the top 5% of data users, cutting their download speeds by up to 99% and making their phones basically useless for anything other than phone calls and text messages. One throttled user found his phone went from loading a web page in a second to taking nearly two minutes; it happened two weeks into his billing cycle, when he reached 2.3 gigabytes of data. He pays $30 for his unlimited plan, and a limited data plan—for the same price—offers more data than that: 3 gigabytes per month. When customers call AT&T to complain, representatives urge them toward the limited plans, the AP reports. More»

iPhone Kills Carrier Profits

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint lose out by subsidizing Apple's cell phone

(NEWSER) - Apple's profits are soaring , but at the expense of cell phone carriers who subsidize iPhone sales. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all pay about $600 for iPhones that they resell to customers for $200. The carriers figure they'll make up the loss with monthly cell phone bills—but Verizon and AT&T stock have both dropped, and Sprint's losses have ballooned by 40%, since they started selling the coveted iPhone, the Los Angeles Times reports. 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»

iPhone 4S Pre-Orders Sell Out in 12 Hours

AT&T reports 200K orders, calls sales strong

(NEWSER) - The just-announced iPhone 4S may not be an iPhone 5 , but it is still another big hit for Apple, which sold out its pre-orders in just 12 hours, reports the International Business Times . AT&T alone reported more than 200,000 pre-orders, saying it was the most successful iPhone launch ever, and Sprint and Verizon also reported strong sales. Already there are three people waiting in line at Apple's 5th Avenue store, two of whom have been there for 12 days. 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

McCains Get Free Cell Towers at Ranch

Ethics lawyers cite his Senate post overseeing telecom industry

ethics • John McCain • Verizon • Cindy McCain • cell phone towers • AT&T

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Cell Coverage Brings Deadly Risk for Tower Climbers

50 workers died between 2003 and 2011

AT&T Customers Stunned by 'Unlimited Data' Limit

Top data users find smartphones 'throttled'

iPhone Kills Carrier Profits

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint lose out by subsidizing Apple's cell phone

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

iPhone 4S Pre-Orders Sell Out in 12 Hours

AT&T reports 200K orders, calls sales strong

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?