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25 Nov 2011 11:38

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Biz, U.S.: Off the table (for now): The AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • what After a long back-and-forth with the government over the implications of the merger, AT&T said Thursday (that’s right, on Thanksgiving!) that they would not pursue FCC approval of a merger with T-Mobile.
  • why It looked very unlikely to get through regulators’ clutches. The merger would have effectively marginalized Sprint in the market, leading the FCC to call a hearing on the merger, and the DOJ to file an antitrust suit.
  • however Both AT&T and T-Mobile have much to lose from the stunted deal — AT&T in penalty fees (reaching into the billions) and lost infrastructure, T-Mobile in declining business. They will probably try again soon. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 23:34

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Biz, Politics: Rick Perry: Totally backed that AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • $500,000 from AT&T to Rick Perry source
  • » AT&T’s contributions = Rick Perry’s support? Back in May, Rick Perry told the FCC he backed the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. “I believe that this merger will continue to provide for great consumer choice, offer a wide range of service options, and spur continued innovation,” he wrote. He might’ve had a little help from those campaign contributions over the past decade. AT&T has a bit of a history of going out of its way to turn public favor its way, going so far as to bizarrely convince GLAAD to support the merger. With the Justice Department coming out against the merger and AT&T’s contributions to Perry coming under scrutiny, will Perry back down? (Strangely enough, BTW, the Justice Department’s James Cole made a statement that reads like the polar opposite of what Perry wrote: “We believe the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile would result in tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, fewer choices, and lower-quality products for their mobile wireless services.” Hrm.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 11:15

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Biz: Justice Department attempts to block AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • then A while back, AT&T announced it would attempt to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion, in an attempt to shore up deficiencies in its wireless network. Other companies and consumer groups, most notably Sprint, loudly complained.
  • now Now the Justice Department’s trying to block the merger. “AT&T’s elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low-priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market,” their complaint said. *BOOM.* source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2011 10:28

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Tech: Our wifi champion? Chuck Schumer’s anti-Firesheep crusade

New York’s top Senator wants sites like Amazon and Twitter to switch everything over to HTTPS because of that whole Firesheep thing. Glad he’s focusing on this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Dec 2010 10:58

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Tech: AT&T makes huge investment in more wireless spectrum

  • $2 billion for fresh bandwidth; fewer dropped calls, possibly? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Aug 2010 11:17

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Tech: Google’s all on the defensive after that net neutrality thang

  • We’re not so presumptuous to think that any two businesses could – or should – decide the future of this issue. We’re simply trying to offer a proposal to help resolve a debate which has largely stagnated after five years.
  • A statement from Google • Regarding criticism it has faced since they decided to go down the net neutrality rabbit hole with Verizon. Their suggestion, which was to treat wireless internet networks differently from wired networks, has gone over like a lead balloon with net neutrality fans. Facebook has gotten in on the jabbing too, saying this in a statement the other day: “Preserving an open Internet that is accessible to innovators — regardless of their size or wealth — will promote a vibrant and competitive marketplace where consumers have ultimate control over the content and services delivered through their Internet connections.” Ouch. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jul 2010 21:17

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Tech, U.S.: Finally, the NYC Subway will be getting wireless connectivity

  • $200 million the amount the wi-fi and mobile endeavor will cost
  • three years the delay the major undertaking has already faced source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Jun 2010 09:26

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Tech, U.S.: Obama’s giving Americans what they really want: More wireless

  • He’s reportedly looking into expanding the wireless spectrum even further. With an ever-increasing need for wireless spectrum, the administration is looking to open up around 500 megahertz worth over the next ten years. And just in time, too – some studies suggest the demand in five years will be 20 to 45 times the demand in 2009, when it was already really high. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2010 20:49

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Tech: Yo AT&T users – think you hog data? Here’s a quick way to check

  • This is us. We admit to being very heavy users. But, even then, we’ve only modestly crossed over the 2-gigabyte threshold AT&T has given us. This isn’t hard to find, either. Log into your AT&T Wireless account, head to the “My Current Usage” screen, click “View Past Data Usage,” and run one of the reports. It’s pretty surprising. We’d end up spending $5 more than we do currently under this plan for most of the months. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 May 2010 12:58

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Tech: Lamesauce: Nokia’s latest lawsuit against Apple

This whole fight, which now includes the 3G iPad, strikes us as a big kid picking a fight with a slightly younger big kid over playground turf. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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