Telecommunications

Recovery Act Presents 'Unprecedented Opportunity'

April 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - The $7 billion-plus broadband stimulus program contained in the nation's economic recovery act presents an "unprecedented opportunity" to extend advanced broadband networks across the nation and to stimulate jobs and the economy, Verizon said Monday (April 13). But, to maximize that opportunity, the program should focus on two key objectives: extending broadband Internet connections to unserved areas, and addressing demand-side factors that hamper growth of broadband subscriptions, such as the lack of a computer in many households.    » read more »

Mapping and Inventory Project for Recovery Act Funding

March 18, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – The ConnectME Authority expects to apply for Recovery Act funds to further the Administration’s goal of expanding broadband throughout Maine. Preparing for such an application, the Authority has recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a qualified independent contractor to develop a statewide comprehensive assessment of current broadband service and infrastructure deployment.

An update of broadband availability inventory in the State is an essential part of the ConnectME Authority’s preparation for grant applications from the federal Recovery Act. The inventory will enable the Authority to focus State and federal funds where they are most needed.    » read more »

Verizon, in Congressional Testimony, Suggests\Guidelines and Practical Reforms

March 12, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - A senior telecommunications executive today made specific recommendations to Congress on how broadband Internet grant money contained in the economic stimulus package and reform of the nation's universal service subsidy system can be used to deploy broadband networks to U.S. households throughout the country.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack, Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps and U.S. Dept. of Commerce Senior Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff Rick Wade kicked off the joint broadband initiative under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today and announced a series of public meetings that will give Americans an opportunity to help shape the program.    » read more »

Wireless-Only Phone Use Varies Widely Across United States

March 11, 2009 -- Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of households with cell phones only, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a quarter of households (26.2 percent) in Oklahoma had only wireless and no landline phones in 2007. On the other end of the spectrum, only 5.1 percent of households in Vermont were wireless–only in 2007.

The report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, “Wireless Substitution: State–level Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January–December 2007,” is the latest report on wireless substitution in the United States.    » read more »

Company to Provide Network and Data Services to Military Installations Around the World

March 10, 2009 -- ASHBURN, Va. -- Verizon Business will provide network and data services at U.S. Department of Defense installations around the world under a new contract awarded by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

Under the Defense Information System Network Transmission Services - Pacific II (DTS-P II) contract, Verizon Business will provide telecommunications services at military installations and other government sites located in the Asia-Pacific region, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, the Middle East and the United States. The contract term is 10 years, if all options are exercised, and has a maximum value of $2.5 billion.    » read more »

Washington, DC, March 10, 2009 -- For more than a decade, the expansion of wireless and wired broadband connectivity has transformed how we work and live, fostered dramatic new business opportunity and driven economic growth. The demand for connectivity remains strong and AT&T* continues to invest billions in its wireless and wired broadband networks to expand this critical platform for growth.

AT&T plans to invest $17 billion to $18 billion in 2009, in line with its 2007 capital expenditures of $17.7 billion and expected to exceed the planned investment of any other U.S. telecom company.    » read more »

Co-Founder and Current CEO Benjamin G. Wolff to Become Co-Chairman

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Mar. 9, 2009-- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), a leading provider of wireless broadband services, today announced that its board of directors has moved to broaden and enhance the company’s leadership team by naming telecom industry veteran William (Bill) T. Morrow, 49, as CEO. Joining Clearwire today, Morrow brings nearly 30 years of operational management experience in the communications services industry. Co-Founder and current CEO Benjamin G. Wolff will continue with the Company as Co-Chairman, a position he will share with current Chairman Craig O. McCaw.    » read more »

Company Products, Including Broadband, Reduce Customer Energy Consumption; Company's Network Energy Conservation Expert Outlines New Standards and Energy-Measurement Guide; Fiber More Efficient Than Copper

March 4, 2009 -- NEW ORLEANS - Stating that "we're examining every way that we and our customers can use energy to promote savings," Verizon's network energy conservation expert outlined on Wednesday (March 4) the major initiatives the company is undertaking to conserve energy in the communications network and to help its customers do so.    » read more »

More Than 500,000 Calls To Consumers On "Do Not Call" List

August 12, 2008 -- Harrisburg - Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that consumer protection lawsuits have been filed against two business owners and their companies, who are accused of violating Pennsylvania's "Do Not Call" law and other consumer protection statutes.

The companies, based in Baltimore, Maryland, and State College, Pennsylvania, are accused of using illegal telephone solicitations to aggressively market mortgage products to consumers - including what Corbett alleges is the largest-ever systematic effort to violate the Do Not Call program since it was created in 2002.    » read more »

August 8, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has reached a $1 million settlement with a Hong Kong-based company that creates and distributes content for cell phones. Building on earlier agreements with advertising networks and a major wireless carrier, the agreement with MobileFunster, Inc., which does business as FunMobile, is the first CyberFraud agreement the Attorney General’s Office has negotiated with a mobile content provider and addresses another link in a business model that includes wireless carriers, billing aggregators, advertising networks, and content providers like FunMobile.    » read more »

Leading Service Provider Offering More Converged Data, Voice and Media Services to Business Customers

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 25, 2008 -- Cisco today announced that China Telecom Americas is greatly expanding its network based on the Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture. Because it builds its services with Cisco equipment and technologies, China Telecom Americas has become a Cisco Powered Program member with service designations in Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based IP virtual private network (VPN) and Carrier Ethernet.    » read more »

Washington -- 26 June 2008 -- Legislation to revise U.S. surveillance law survived a key test vote in the Senate Wednesday, despite opposition from some majority Democrats to a provision protecting telephone companies from possible privacy lawsuits. The Senate could give final approval to the bill and send it to President Bush for his signature before a congressional recess next week.

Senators voted 80 to 15 to proceed to the legislation - 20 more than the 60 votes necessary under Senate rules.

The bill, which updates the 1978 Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act (FISA), would expand the government's powers to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects while at the same time take steps to safeguard civil liberties.    » read more »

Charges Next-G Communication, Inc. with delivering fewer calling minutes than advertised

May 23, 2008 -- AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today filed the state’s first legal enforcement action against a prepaid calling card company.

Advertising for Next-G’s prepaid calling cards

Court documents filed in Bexar County indicate Next-G Communication, Inc. produces, sells and distributes prepaid calling cards throughout Texas but consistently fails to deliver the number of minutes it advertises to customers.    » read more »

National operation includes more than 180 actions against instances of telemarketing fraud

May 20, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and a series of Florida partners today announced the results of a national telemarketing fraud sweep, including several actions taken throughout Florida over the past few months.    » read more »