FCC Wants Control, Says it is in Consumer Interests: [6th May 2010]

The FCC have announced plans to offer a third way to implement net neutrality rules, despite recent rulings which said that the FCC have no authority over the internet. A statement from the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has stated that they would like to restore the status quo as existed before the ruling and to fulfill their agenda of protecting consumers, making broadband available to all and preserving a fair and open internet. The hope is that the internet can be reclassified as a telecommunications service and therefore would come under the Telecommunications Act. Telecommunications companies oppose this idea and believe it will hinder the development of the industry.

Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile are hoping to take on rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless by offering cut-price services for the fastest download products. It is thought that the new pricing structure is to encourage more subscribers to join up with these providers. Sprint will be launching a 4G network with download speeds of around 6Mbps in partnership with Clearwire who have already deployed their service to Balitmore and Houston. They also have plans to sell the first 4G phone , the Evo. The combination of 3G and 4G services makes the company more flexible than other providers. T-Mobile is using HSPA+ technology to boost their speeds to 21Mbps. They will be cutting overage charges on their $40 a month service.

AT&T customers who signed up to their DSL service after March 1994 may be able to claim a partial refund due to a lawsuit which found that the company delivered slower data rates than promised. AT&T will use their own records to determine if people are due a refund and it will offer $2.90 for each month when the service was slow. Other customers with different circumstances may be eligible for a $2.00 payment. Customers need to file a claim by July 1 on a website set up for the purpose. Former customers will also be contacted regarding the settlement. AT&T promise to monitor its services in the future to ensure it is meeting promised download speeds.

A report released this week has found that AT&T has the highest rate of dropped calls and the lowest rate of customer satisfaction among the 4000 people surveyed. 23% of people said they were very satisfied, while Verizon boasted 49%. AT&T had a 4.5% rate of dropped calls, compared to 1.5% for Verizon. It has been suggested that AT&T's iPhone exclusivity compensates for its poor customer service rates, however despite this just 8% of customers say they are planning to switch. AT&T have commented on the figures by saying that they are at odds with the results they received during testing of their network. They say that this test showed they were just 0.2% away from the market leader.

The US Senate Special Committee on Aging has discussed the benefits of remote patient monitoring and role of broadband at their committee meeting "Aging in place: The national broadband plan and bring health care technology home." They showed how a study of 32,000 veterans found that they had a 19% reduction in hospital admissions and a 25% reduction in bed days due to a remote healthcare program. Another study showed a 36% reduction in hospital stays. It was also pointed out that the reduced cost of care meant that efficiency increased by more than 50%. The next administrator for CMS hopes to make E-care a top priority.

Verizon have announced that their television subscribers will be able to view YouTube via their FiOS fiber optic service. Customers will also be able to have access to thousands of radio stations available on the internet through their TV speakers. These services are added to the Facebook and Twitter access already available. Shawn Strickland of Verizon has stated that their TV and Internet services are able to come together to deliver a service not available with cable.

The first Verizon wireless phone, the Morotola Droid was announced by Verizon last week. Powered by the Android platform it integrates with Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to help users keep track of their social network. The phone can be used as a modem with a monthly access fee which depends on the package the user already has with Verizon. The Droid will retail for $199.99 and will come with a 2GB memory card if purchased before May 31.