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Telecommunications Companies Creating Centralized Database For Tracking Stolen Mobile Phones

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:29:42 +0000

The four major U.S. wireless carriers have made an agreement to work with the FCC for creating a central database to track and disable stolen mobile devices. The database will be designed for tracking phones that are reported as stolen and deny them the ability to access voice and data services.

Verizon and Sprint currently block phones that are reported as stolen and from being reactivated. AT&T and T-Mobile do not have this service available on-hand right now. All four companies have agreed to be a part of the new database. Electronics are now the most common stolen type of property with mobile phones accounting for over 80% of this kind of theft.

Each of the major carriers will build individual databases within the next 6 months and integrate them over the following 12 months. The smaller carriers will also join the database at that point.

Google Android Update Alliance With Telecommunication Companies Starts To Fizzle

Amit Chowdhry — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:09:23 +0000

This past May Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced a partnership at the I/O conference that they have made a deal so that any new Android phone would receive OS updates for at least 18 months following the launch. The partnership is called the Google Update Alliance. Motorola, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sony Ericsson are a part of the Update Alliance. Sony Ericsson is the only company that has kept up with the partnership. In fact Sony Ericsson released new versions of Android to all phones that are less than 18 months.

The problem for users is that they are not getting the latest operating system updates. When Google updates their operating system, they add security patches and new features. When developers create apps that are based on the latest version of Android, they will not know how many people will be able to use them.

The problem with having an alliance like this is the bureaucracy of it all. Updating an operating system requires a lot of testing. Between these 7 companies, there are about 300,000 employees. There are analysts, project managers, directors, and executives to go through before an update is released. There is only so much Google can do to push everybody to get their jobs done.

[PCMag]

Verizon Preparing To Launch A Netflix Competitor

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:48:09 +0000

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is planning on launching a video streaming service for movies and TV shows on the web to take on Netflix. Verizon is currently talking to programming partners. Verizon is targeting customers that are outside of markets where they currently offer FiOS. The new service is expected to be launched in 2012.

Sources believe that Verizon’s video offerings would be similar to what Liberty Media’s Starz Play and Viacom’s Epix offers. It may also involve children’s programming from partners like Disney or Viacom.

Verizon has been talking with TV programming companies over the last 2 years. A lot of the discussion has been around what types of fees would be associated with the services. Verizon’s FiOS has 5 million TV subscribers. Verizon is going to spend about $3.6 billion in spectrum from the cable companies.

Currently FiOS customers have access to about 30 networks over the web through FiOS TV Online.

[Reuters]

Verizon Employees Strike as Company Fails to Negotiate Contract with Unions

Riley Kennysmith — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:26:29 +0000

Today consumers passing their local Verizon store may notice a sea of red: Verizon workers are on strike regarding contract negotiations. GigaOM reports that more than as 45,000 workers are striking. The contract has expired and the Communication Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers announced that they “have decided to take the unprecedented step of striking until Verizon stops its Wisconsin-style tactics and starts bargaining seriously.”

The union contract in question covers, according to the CWA, 45,000 members of the CWA and IBEW “from New England to Virginia.”

Verizon Wireless Agrees to Pay Its Owners $10 Billion

Riley Kennysmith — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:53:09 +0000

Verizon Wireless has approved a $10 billion payout to Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodaphone Group Plc. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the payment will be distributed between the two based on their ownership stakes in the company, which is 55% and 45%, respectively. Verizon Wireless hasn’t paid dividends to its owners in a few years, as the company has been focusing its expenditures on paying down debt.

The payout will occur on January 31st.

ISPs Officially Agree to Piracy Punishment Program

Riley Kennysmith — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:06:17 +0000

United States ISPs have agreed to a “six strike” program to deal with online copyright infringement. Companies in the deal include AT&T, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Verizon. Ars Technica reports that the warning system operates solely between the ISP and the subscriber, and that ISPs will only release guilty subscribers’ information with a court order.

The agreement is, according to the press release, intended to “educate and stop the alleged content theft in question, not to punish.” The education comes in the form of alerts that notify potential pirates of their copyright infringement, none of which involve real legal action. There is no threat of complete disconnection, and the agreement promises that services like email and home security will always be available despite a user’s piracy warnings.

The first two warnings are just “educational” notices about piracy. The third and fourth warnings require the user the user to acknowledge receipt of the warnings. The fifth and sixth warnings involve “mitigation measures” that act as ISP-enforced punishments for the users’ piracy.

ISPs Nearing Agreement On Action Against Web Piracy

Riley Kennysmith — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:42:17 +0000

Bandwidth providers and media companies may soon reach a new agreement on punishments for intellectual property piracy on the internet. Cnet reports that the companies, including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, would be making a deal that cracks down harder than ever before on music and video piracy. ISPs’ options would include reducing pirates’ bandwidth, limiting the number of websites users can visit until they cease pirating, or requiring pirates to participate in copyright law and intellectual property education courses.

Previously, the final action against pirates was a termination of service; under the proposed plan, termination of service is no longer required. The new graduated response plan for ISPs allows handling of piracy on a case-by-case basis, but requires serious action for the worst offenders. The plan makes copyright enforcement a main duty of ISPs.

The agreement is not yet signed, but it is rumored that the agreement will be publicly revealed next month. If the deal is made, the new plan will mark the first time major bandwidth providers openly adopt a graduated response program against illegal file sharing.

Verizon To Acquire Terremark For $1.4 Billion

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:49:29 +0000

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) plans to acquire Terremark Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMRK) for $19 per share in a $1.4 billion deal. This is a 35% premium on the closing price of Terremark yesterday. Terremark is an IT services provider that focuses on data storage for large companies and government agencies.

Verizon was already a partner with Terremark. Verizon signed a deal for 25,000 square feet in Terremark’s data centers. Verizon was also selling Terremark’s hosting services. “Cloud computing continues to fundamentally alter the way enterprises procure, deploy and manage IT resources, and this combination helps create a tipping point for ‘everything-as-a-service,’” stated Verizon COO and president Lowell McAdam. “Our collective vision will foster innovation, enhance business processes and dynamically deliver business intelligence and collaboration services to anyone, anywhere and on any device.”

Verizon and MetroPCS Suing The F.C.C. Over Broadband Regulation

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:41:37 +0000

Verizon Communications and MetroPCS are teaming up to sue the Federal Communications Commission. MetroPCS and Verizon believes that the FCC has no right to regulate broadband. The two telecommunication companies also point out that the FCC exceeded their authority by preventing Comcast from throttling BitTorrent bandwidth.

“MetroPCS is committed to promoting competition and an open Internet by giving consumers choices for wireless Internet access services at prices they can afford,” stated the MetroPCS CEO, president, and chairman of the board Roger D. Linquist. “MetroPCS’ concerns regarding the jurisdictional basis for the Net Neutrality rules, the recent appeal filed by Verizon, and challenges raised by some proponents of Net Neutrality to MetroPCS’ recent 4G rate plans, have caused MetroPCS to appeal the FCC’s Net Neutrality Order to ensure that the concerns of competitive wireless carriers, like MetroPCS, are addressed.”

The FCC claims that they are within their rights to regulate broadband. The FCC used an existing communications law to prevent Comcast from throttling BitTorrent. This past week Senator Maria Cantwell had filed net neutrality legislation to solidify the FCC’s authority for broadband regulation. This would add a new section in Title II of the Communications Act of the FCC net neutrality principles.

Interesting: Verizon Is Buying iPhone-Related Domain Names

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:31:18 +0000

Verizon Wireless has been snapping up some iPhone-related domain names. Why now? Does this indicate that we will see an iPhone that runs on Verizon’s CDMA network in the near future? One of the domain names that Verizon bought was iphoneonverizon.com and iphoneforverizon.com. Verizon Trademark Services LLC also owns www.verizon.com. Verizon bought the domain names from Jim Benton. [BGR]