back to article US regulators probe wireless competition

US regulators are probing the level of competition in the wireless sector in a move that could lead to broader investigation of the communications industry. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it's seeking input on new issues and topics since its last report was released in this annual process in May. The …

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  1. h 6
    Go

    Thank you

    Thank you, Mr. President.

    About time the FCC had teeth. Although I'm an AT&T customer for a long time and happy with their service, I don't want my iphone to be restricted only to it. Keep ATT on their proverbial toes if I decide to take my iphone and go to another ball field.

  2. Jesse Dorland
    Linux

    Don't hold your breath

    If FCC was really serving public’s interest. It would argue something like this; land line telephone cost like $15 a month, basic package including unlimited incoming & outgoing calls. Phone companies are able to make profit, even when they have to fix, repair, and replace wires, and pay licensing fees.

    How come they charge so much for wireless? Simple answer is greed. Government would go after them and smash them into little bells like AT&T.

    It ain’t gonna happen.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Roll it all up

    Dear Mr. Prezzydent,

    If you are serious about this and broadband to the unwashed. Push WiMax with real competition instead of localized cable monopolies.

    I dare you.

  4. Jim Metz

    ATT forces email change to Yahoo

    I want to change my ISP from ATT. They are trying to force me to use Yahoo for email and search. Not going to happen. Sense there is only cable here and it cost more the customer looses again. But No more ATT crap. Why can't we have real competition for internet access? Does everyone not see we are a third world country in so far as Internet and wireless service goes. There has to be a way to get rid of monopolies, duopolies what ever other opolies. It kills our competitiveness and is raping the customer. Sorry for the rant fresh wound.

  5. Richard 102
    FAIL

    One key question

    How much is this going to cost me? I'm an American taxpayer. I practice a useful trade/skill. I take care of myself and my family. I ask for no special priviledge or treatment. And I know that any government action or inaction is going to cost me money.

    This investigation will change nothing, burn through taxpayer money, and line the pockets of Obama and his string-pullers. In other words, business as usual.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hinges on the definition of ownership

    Like many recent digital advances this hinges on the definition of ownership. Do I own my cellphone or merely lease it from the provider for 2 years? If I own it, competition law ought to say it's mine to do what the hell I like. Bored with AT&T? Fine, go stick a Verizon SIM in the back and move on. If I lease it, on the other hand, I am really stuck with the carrier and all the law can do is say that after the two year period I should be able to trivially unlock my device and go to whoever I like.

    Personally I would rather pay the full price for a handset and be able to do what the hell I like with it rather than have the price obscured in a two year contract. Any kind of cross-subsidy or price occlusion is always to the detriment of the customer. (Exhibit A is the US healthcare system, but let's not even go there today.....)

  7. Nexox Enigma

    Finally...?

    Well, this can hardly be worse than the last FCC Chairman, who seemed to think that we'd benefit from having a 100% telecoms monopoly under AT&T.

    @ Jim Metz:

    Just ignore or forward the yahoo email to an address you'd like to use, and don't let them mess with your browser. I'm sure they haven't blocked Google or Bing or whatever you'd rather use than Yahoo. I have a feeling that blocking Google would lose them customers and earn them a lawsuit asap, while blocking Bing would probably just get them a lawsuit.

    @ KingZongo:

    For your plan to work, it'd require all mobile service providers to use compatible wireless technologies. There's no way to take a phone that will work with AT&T (GSM) and take it to Verizon or Sprint (CDMA.) Since AT&T and Verizon are the only two providers that really count, size-wise, and they are incompatible, it doesn't matter a whole lot whether they keep you on their network, since there's nowhere else to go.

    The GSM vs CDMA mess is really the root of this country's wireless problems, and it's probably not going to change in the near future.

  8. wv9e

    Control freaks

    What this is really about is new rules for government take over of the internet. Soon they will be telling us what when and where we can download, surf or email. Get that Nazi bastard out of the white house first. Then talk about telecom.

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