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NEWS ABOUT: wireless carriers

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Verizon Scraps $2 Fee

'Convenience' charge dies a quick death amid outcry

(Newser) - About that new $2 "convenience fee" for Verizon Wireless customers: Never mind. The company backtracked quickly today and scrapped its plan to charge customers who make one-time payments online or by phone, reports the Wall Street Journal . Online petitions in protest sprang up immediately , and federal regulators said they... More »

Customers Not Happy About Verizon's New $2 Fee

Complaints flood Twitter

(Newser) - Will outraged consumers convince Verizon to backtrack on its newest fee , just as they did with Bank of America ? Perhaps: The New York Times notes that yesterday's announcement of the $2 fee, which will be levied against customers who make one-time bill payments using a credit or debit... More »

Verizon to Charge $2 for One-Off Payments

Subscribers get a new 'convenience fee'

(AP) - For those complaining that their cellphone bill is just too darn cheap: Verizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone company, is introducing a $2 fee for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit cards. The company says this "convenience fee" will be introduced Jan.... 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(Newser) - AT&T and T-Mobile have unexpectedly withdrawn their merger application from FCC consideration.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... 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... More »

Justice Dept. Sues to Block AT&T's Bid to Buy T-Mobile

Says combining No. 2 and No. 4 carrier would raise prices

(Newser) - AT&T tried to sugarcoat its $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA by announcing this morning that it would, as a result of the merger, return 5,000 call-center jobs to US shores. But it still wasn't sweet enough for the Justice Department, which has filed suit to... More »

Verizon Ditching Unlimited Data Plans

New customers to be offered only tiered plans

(Newser) - Verizon is becoming the latest carrier to scrap unlimited data plans in favor of tiered ones. As of tomorrow, new Verizon customers will be offered options ranging from $30 for 2 GB per month to $80 for 10 GB per month, Fierce Wireless reports. Existing customers will be allowed to... More »

AT&T, T-Mobile Merger Bad News for Consumers

The consensus: 'Ma Bell is back'

(Newser) - Reactions to the surprise AT&T-T-mobile merger are pouring in, and, not surprisingly, most conclude this isn't a good thing for consumers:
  • The Bell telephone system—"aka AT&T"—was broken up in 1984 to increase competition, and the US telecommunications market was deregulated in 1996, again to
... More »

AT&T to Buy T-Mobile for $39B

Deal will combine the No. 2 and No. 4 wireless carriers in US

(Newser) - AT&T says it will buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $39 billion. The deal will combine the second-largest wireless carrier in the US with the fourth, notes the Wall Street Journal , which adds that it comes on the heels of AT&T's loss... More »

Introducing the Planet's Worst Cell Phone

Everything about the 'truly dreadful' Samsung Craft is a 'nightmare'

(Newser) - MetroPCS is a cell phone carrier known mostly for its low cost—so when it announced plans to offer 4G coverage, for a cheaper price than most other carriers charge for 3G, and introduced a 4G phone, it "sounded too good to be true" to Farhad Manjoo. "And,... More »

AT&T's Network Is Worst in US: Consumer Reports

It's not just dead last in general—last in every city, almost every category

(Newser) - AT&T may claim to have the largest and fastest wireless network … but it also has the worst one, according to the latest Consumer Reports survey. When it comes to wireless providers, AT&T ranked dead last in general—as well as in every city. Last year, it came... More »

Today's 4G Isn't Actually 4G

Gizmodo: It's just 'marketing' noise; the real thing awaits

(Newser) - The big US carriers are making a lot of noise about their 4G networks, but Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo points out a wee problem: "None of these networks are actually 4G. Not by a long shot." There's technical standards for these things, and what's out there now or... More »

FCC Battles Cell Phone 'Bill Shock'

Haiti volunteer hit with $30K in roaming charges

(Newser) - A FEMA worker supporting the earthquake relief effort in Haiti was hit with a $30,000 bill for roaming charges when she arrived back in the US. Federal regulators say this kind of cell phone "bill shock" is all too common, and they hope to curb it with regulations... More »

The Loveless Marriage of AT&T, Apple

AT&T faces network problems, customer wrath

(Newser) - AT&T and Apple are stuck in a "loveless celebrity marriage," publicly praising each other while they bicker constantly behind the scenes. The dysfunctional relationship sets the stage for the industry as phone manufacturers design phones that suck ever-more bandwidth, while strained wireless carriers try to crack down... More »

Verizon to Nab iPhone in January: Report

Timing coincides with network upgrade, which could make this zillionth prediction credible

(Newser) - Verizon customers will at long last be able to buy iPhones in January of next year, according to an anonymously sourced report on Bloomberg . The move could “dramatically increase” iPhone sales, notes one analyst. “It's hard to ignore the quality issues that AT&T has faced,” he... More »

Family Fights $18K Verizon Bill

The fine print gets you every time

(Newser) - A Massachusetts family is locked in a standoff with Verizon over an $18,000 bill they accidentally racked up in just over a month. When the St. Germain family signed on with Verizon, they received 2 years of unlimited downloads as part of a promotion, the Boston Globe explains. When... More »

New iPhone Will Let Verizon, Sprint Play, Too

It uses network not used by current iPhone king AT&T

(Newser) - The days are numbered for AT&T’s monopoly on the iPhone, with Apple set to produce a new version that uses the wireless network favored by the likes of Verizon and Sprint. When a version using the CDMA network (to AT&T's GSM network) will hit the market is... More »

Red Cross Pulls in $8M In Text Message Donations

Relief agency says it can handle more cash for earthquake aid

(Newser) - Text messaging has proven to be a wildly popular method of donating to the relief effort in Haiti. As of 8:25 this morning, the Red Cross had pulled in more than $8 million through text messages, Fox News reports. That’s the most mobile donations “that we have... More »

Google Phone Emerges, Could Shake Up Market

Company will sell it on its own, not through a wireless carrier

(Newser) - The long-awaited Google phone is almost out of hiding and expected to be on the market next year. The big difference: Google will sell the phone, called Nexus One, on its own instead of going the usual route through a wireless carrier. Customers will have to buy their cell service... More »

How to Slash Your Phone Bill

Cell phone bill out of control? Here's how to save

(Newser) - Your cell phone plan sounded pretty good when you got that nifty handset, but if you aren't vigilant, carriers can hit you with fees and charges that will bleed you dry. PC World lists five ways wireless companies gouge you, and how to avoid them.
  1. Texting fees: Go over your
... More »

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