Verizon FiOS services aren’t just for families anymore. After the success of a Washington, D.C., area pilot campaign, Verizon launched an ad campaign for its FiOS services that targets tech savvy 25-39 year old singles living in apartments and condos. The campaign will focus on metropolitan areas in the New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles markets. “Some people think they have to live in a single family home to get the very best broadband and video entertainment services, but that’s not true,” said Pedro Correa, vice president of Verizon Enhanced Communities.
Verizon Wireless and cable companies shot back at critics of Verizon’s proposed buy of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo and Cox in a reply filed at the FCC. The companies said that by their calculations, in 98 percent of the counties covered the combinations will not push Verizon Wireless above the FCC’s spectrum screen, or the level at which the FCC would consider divestitures as part of any order approving the deals. Critics led by T-Mobile, small carriers, and public interest groups, took aim at the transaction last month, in various petitions to deny (CD Feb 23 p1). SpectrumCo is a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
BERLIN -- The U.S. and Germany differed with other countries over the length of time to delay remedies for creditors of satellite projects when public services are involved. The differences were aired at a diplomatic conference for adoption of a space assets protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment according to documents, speakers and interviews. An official from a country with a strong satellite industry said a definition of public services is needed. Executives attending the conference were from Astrium, BHO Legal, EADS, Eutelsat, Intelsat, Munich Re, SES and Thales Alenia Space.
Dish Networks got some but not all of what it was asking for from the FCC Friday. In an order, the FCC approved Dish’s purchase of TerreStar and DBSD, but denied its request for a waiver of the integrated services rules for the spectrum. The order was handed down by the International Bureau and did not require a vote by commissioners. On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a notice of proposed rulemaking asking questions about the service rules, which is set for a vote by the full commission at the FCC’s March 21 meeting.
Data throttling is likely to remain a sore spot for some consumer and public interest groups. AT&T last week clarified its throttling policy, but what it offered didn’t satisfy all critics.
Two lawsuits targeting the online-video startup Aereo are meritless, Aereo said Thursday. Aereo, which is planning to start offering its services in New York City March 14, was named in two separate copyright suits brought by broadcasters and media networks. Aereo has said it plans to charge $12 a month for a live streaming and DVR service. Under Aereo’s model, each subscriber will rent his or her own antenna and DVR at Aereo’s facilities, and stream programming directly from that device to his or her own TV set, tablet or mobile device.
Congressional authorization for the FCC to begin incentive auctions seems unlikely to affect fixed satellite service spectrum, said industry executives. There’s more potential for action within the mobile satellite service spectrum band, though the FCC’s plans for that spectrum remain unclear, they said. The spectrum bill (CD Feb 24 p10) gives the agency very broad authority to auction broadcast and other spectrum. The general incentive auction ability is limited to where “the Commission conducts a reverse auction to determine the amount of compensation that licensees would accept in return for voluntarily relinquishing spectrum usage rights” and “at least two competing licensees participate in the reverse auction."
Goodwill between the FCC and broadcasters on spectrum, diminished in the runup to frequency reallocation legislation President Barack Obama signed Feb. 22, ought to get a bump up in the coming months, executives and ex-commission officials said. They said the law all but requires both sides to collaborate so the agency can raise maximum proceeds from selling TV spectrum for wireless broadband use and so broadcasters not volunteering to sell frequencies have channels changed -- or repacked -- with the least amount of viewer and business disruption. Former high-ranking commission officials and industry executives pointed to 2009’s transition to DTV as a model for ways stations and the FCC can work together now.
An Arizona company is marketing license preparation services for spectrum the FCC is not even close to making available, is not accepting applications for, and which may have little value when it does, Communications Daily learned from company documents and interviews. The company, Smartcomm LLC of Phoenix, also has charged up to 280 times what others are charging for similar license preparation services.
Verizon will offer 100 percent refunds for unauthorized third-party charges to landline customers, a practice known as “cramming,” said a settlement released late Wednesday. The telco will also implement several reforms designed to eliminate cramming. The nationwide settlement is the result of a 2009 lawsuit alleging Verizon billed its landline phone customers for charges from third-party companies not authorized by the customer, in violation of federal and state law. “If we went to trial and won, we couldn’t have done better,” lead class counsel John Jacobs told us. “It’s a fabulous, fabulous settlement. It’s remarkable."