The Utter Corruption of US Telecoms

[Right, that's crime boss Randall L. Stephenson, CEO of AT&T]

Monday I shared a train ride with Jane. She was headed to New York to make an appearance on a panel at NYU, and I was headed to Philly on business.

We talked and worked, though Jane was hampered by the failure of her Verizon mobile wireless service to connect her online. Why? Because, though she had been told her bill would be bundled with her cellphone service at the time she purchased the additional wireless service, they didn't do it, so her autopay system did not pay her wireless bill. Result? No service. Further result? An hour of senseless haggling, time on hold, and so forth with a "customer service" representative who researched the problem and then insisted on charging Jane a reconnection fee. . . for Verizon's mistake!

Everyone I know has stories like this. My AT&T wireless charges me out the wazoo and drops my calls with demonic frequency. Meanwhile, it seems Comcast, Verizon and AT&T garner an ever growing proportion of my monthly payments while providing me with less and less service.

If we had been on a train in Europe, not only would we have gotten to our destinations faster, but we would have had free wireless with no hassle. The reason the telecom industry is so bad is because it has bought congress, written anti-competitive, anti-consumer regulations into law, so that its services get worse and worse while it places itself on precisely the business path to destruction the US auto industry has already trod.

It lies to consumers on an individual level, as Jane experienced, and more broadly, launches dishonest anti-net neutrality campaigns and seeks to absolve itself from its participation in illegal surveillance of US citizens. Oh, and it tries to destroy free speech, thank you very much. The more it builds its business model around anti-competitive, anti-consumer corporate welfare and lies, the more it must cling to protectionist, anti-innovation strategies just to survive, systemically cutting the knees out from small businesses and innovative startups. It's a slow, steady slog toward business death. Just ask Ford how that works out.

What's more, the rumor is the Senate version of the new FISA bill, with the blessing of Harry Reid and the Democrats, will include retroactive immunity for the telecoms for their lawbreaking. We've been fighting today to prop up the House progressives to fight for a better version of the FISA bill in the House, but we also need to let Harry Reid and the rest of the capitulation caucus in the Senate know that retroactive immunity is purely unacceptable during the next few days.

Gee, are there any Democratic senators who might consider launching a filibuster on the Senate FISA bill, even against the will of the leadership, like maybe, anyone from a state that likes cheese, or a senator who guest blogs at SavetheInternet.org or anyone running for president who asserts he's truly committed to the Constitution?

What are your telecom nightmare stories? Share them in the comments.

Pachacutec blogs at Firedoglake.

Comments

[dadw5boys]

WHAT DID ALL THESE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY PASSED LAWS BUILDING BARRIERS TO ENTRY FOR COMPETITION?
BANKS WANTED THIS TO LOAN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT STILL DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.

[hrholmes]

Hey Sheeple!!! ATT 'Customer Service' IS the sales department! DUH! Inbound callers at that (see all above posts). The door to door or wireless store 'customer service' reps that are out 'canvassing preferred customers' are hired and trained to lie to you and slam your bill with additional services and charges not reduce them!! Most are now defined as 'temporary term' employees, even the ones you call for complaints. They are paid commissions to sell you more services and sales commissions are reduced if you want to remove anything. If they don't sell enough or remove to many services or bill charges they are fired for not meeting sales quotas. Much of the problem is customers failure to realize how this is truly organized and operated. It's called 'uneducated customers' to be very polite about it. Good luck folks... oh... and try to learn to read your bills and learn arithmetic before you call in... it can really help! lmao Also figure out how much long distance and what features you really need on your home phone or you will get a big package without most of the gimmicky features activated. Phone, DSL and Cell phones and Satelite TV packages can save money if you need it all versus going with several different providers. Try and use your brain when you buy if you can. An answering machine is cheaper than 'Voice Mail', if you don't make calls outside of the USA drop the International calling plan that was 'included' in your calling plan. It was included because you don't read your bills and just pay what it says. Hello!!!

[bamm]

Try T-Mobile's prepaid cell phone plan. That is the only major company I could find that didn't require monthly payments. I have had it for a couple of years and all I have to do is remember to add more minutes at least once a year to bring my annual investment up to $100 to get their ten cent per minute rate and when I do, my unused minutes roll over for another year. I found it on the internet, but haven't checked their website recently.

[BL]

Disturbing that stories like this one and "AT&T, GE, COMCAST AMONG TOP 2008 ELECTION DONORS" from Broadcasting & Cable coincide with recent news that the Center for Public Integrity has decided to close the door on its "Well Connected" project which happens to be the only effort out there monitoring industry's lobbying influence on elected officials and regulators! Who's watching the watchdogs?!

[Notorious Nuno]

The only way things are going to change in this country is if citizens start creating their own secret organizations to target illegal criminal activity on the part of Politicians selling out Americans to the Corporate plantation, and to take action against people in the various professional fields who are taking advantage of other people's lives, and how they live them. We already know government doesn't work, so WE need to do what's right in order to defend those who are too afraid to stand up for themselves, and the rights of others. Let me know when someone has a brilliant plan...

[LewisWalsh]

Yes, I do: It's the citizen imposed federal term limits Six Years and Out movement.

[Iownpeterbilt]

Six years for the senate, TWO years for the house, then they can go home and find private employment...

[princessofnowt]

re Corporate and political activity- criminal and not, there are a couple things you might look into for more action/change/redress etc on behalf of 'the people'.

One is the National Initiative NI4D, online you can vote to create a new branch of representation in the government. This would allow 'the people' access to be able to vote on issues that they are currently being prevented from voting on, bring up issues and legislation, etc.

The original intention of our government was to have a representative for every 30,000 constituents. Then, 50 years on, that was deemed by some to be too many constituents to be able to handle, that the representatives would not be able to interact with enough of the public to fairly represent them.

That was in 1781. Now, there is a cap on how many representatives are allowed altogether, with 10 times that many people to "represent". How could they possibly truly represent their constituents?

And, by the way, who is taught how to participate in the government of our United States these days anymore? Talk about 'tracking'! You do nearly have to be born into it, it seems.

We don't need 'secret organizations', we need participation and transparency. As well as access to participation, and access to information. The NI4D would give us access to participation, at least. The rest is up to us, then.

About corporations, illegal activities, and transparency- you can find out who owns who as well as what lawsuits have been settled in a different name from the company name we would know, and other interesting things by searching for them online. There are a few people compiling databases on that stuff.

Votesmart org, by the way, has online lists of major contributors of candidates. Thats very interesting to have in mind as you listen to the debates.

The corruption of our telecom industry is only a small part of the price we pay for not paying attention.

[Bamboo]

I have cell phone services in Taiwan and the US, and it's a no-brainer to guess which one rocks. In Taiwan, the minimum with FarEastTone is $3 -- each month! On an average month with heavy daily usage including text messaging, I rarely pay more than $30, and typically $15-20, with NO charge for incoming. In the US with Sprint, I don't even use the phone and the costs are $60-70, texting adds $5 more. And when I knock back to an inactive account while I'm overseas, I must re-up for another 2-year contract. Asians would revolt at this. Why don't Americans??

[HeevenSteven]

ATT is a complete pain in my butt and I don't even have an account with them.

Recently I received a bill from ATT for long distance service to my home phone.

I called the customer service number and explained to the nice girl in Banglore that I canceled my ATT service 4 years ago. She removed the charges and tried to sell me wireless services while I waited for a confirmation number. My time invested: 45 minutes

A month later I got another bill and spent 45 minutes of my time --at least 10 getting to the right que and 10 more on hold-- to get another rep in Banglore to remove the charges and cancel my account. All the while he tried to sell me ATT wireless services.

[princessofnowt]

Incoming calls and texts are FREEEEEEE in Europe. Nobody over there charges for incoming calls. That would be considered insanely greedy.

Its criminal, the number of things corporations make up to charge for. They get away with it here somehow. Whats that about? Why do we go along with it? The time has passed where the havenots can hope for better times, a lucky break, that 'dream' thing I vaguely remember from childhood. What was it called? the am-something dream....I forget..

It is a testament to total greed.

Not to mention that it is part of the effort to separate the haves from the havenots, as far as possible.

[Pacer22]

American citizens have no inkling how business, under this administration, is truly conducted in this country. The BOC's just controll, and I do mean controll, the legislative process when it comes to telecom issues. Here's an eye-opener. Michael Powell, while chairman of the FCC, over saw a process that roled back critical pro-competive telecom rules put in place under Reagan. Then he bailed! This administration has been effectively paving the way for big business. Telecom is no expection. Think about this. Why is that Southwestern Bell, in short order, was able to buy Pac Bell, then Ameritech, then AT&T, then Bell South, and acquire 100% of Cingular. And Verizon acquired NYNEX and MCI. Ed Whitacre, chairman fo SWB, KNEW he had the golden political opportunity to consolidate the telecom market under his buddy George W. Bush's administration. And he seized the opportunity. I lay no blame. That was his job! But have all these consolidations has it helped foster competition? Just the opposite. Neither Verizon nor AT&T will cross boundries to truly compete with one another. It really is a joke, and nobody in Congress has the cojones to hold these companies accountable. To justify his roll-back of Reagan-era competitive rules, Powell pointed to needing only "3 modalities" (forms) of competition to protect consumers: wired lines, wireless and cable. The vote within the FCC for this hotly contested action was 4 Repubican commissioners in favor, and 3 Democratic commissioners opposed to the rollback of these competitive rules. It made me burn my Republican membership card! Having succeeded in getting the desired FCC action to eliminate the small competitors to their wired line business, the mega-BOC's now turn their sites on Google, and cable opertators. Whenever true potential for telecom competition raises its infants head, the BOC's run to their political buddies in Congress and state legislatures, and it is not long before rules are changed, and new laws are passed, that protect the newly-minted mega-monopolies. The average American needs to wake up and express their outrage.

[wilty]

And, just to think that not too, too long ago,
the motherlode Ma Bell was broken up into the Baby Bells, in the triumphal tear down of that monopolisitic trust.

Seems the babies have been committing corporate, familial incest, ever since, and that is why the service (what service?!) will continue to deteriorate, and the costs will go through the roof.

And, never mind the moral turpitude of these inbreeds, when it comes to breaking the law with Bushy's (and the entire government) Way encouraging and blessing these felons, all along in their happy, corporate, and steamrolling blitzkrieg!!

[bpeale]

I have been with T-Mobile for 7 years (back when they were Voicestream). I lose my signal when I go into my place of business (because it's an old building & has a tremendous amount of metal overhead) & nowhere else. I am very happy with my cell phone provider & would never consider changing providers. T-MOBILE IS GREAT!!!

[GoConference]

You are only scratching at the surface of the corruption of the FCC by AT&T and other carriers. Please read my last three blogs at blog.goconference.com to really understand the scale of what is going on in the telecommunications industry.
I live in Santa Barbara and our Congresswoman Lois Capps received over $15,000 of political contributions from AT&T. Lois is a very liberal Democrat but happens to be on the committee that oversees the FCC. If you check out the political contributions to Senator Barbara Boxer who is also on a committee that oversees the FCC you really will lose respect for these politicians. They are more interested in being re-elected than helping their constituents.

[Azzurra]

I have many a mobile phone nightmare story. Personal and professional. Here is just a sample. Mind you, I've had a mobile phone since 1994. But the below stories are just the ones in recent years.
Verizon does not cut any deals on mobile service to the people that provide content to them. Their customer service is a nightmare. One week I clocked that I spent 10 hours between being on the phone with them and going down to their store to fix a minor problem that no one had any knowledge of. They upgrade their services but do not train the appropriate people on the upgrades and their effects. Verizon also has dead zones in NYC as well as Long Island.
On a personal note, a few years back I had Nextel. The customer service was excellent but, it dropped calls often and there were a lot of "dead" zones (Living/working in NYC you would think that most wireless companies would have excellent service in the area...not so). Anywho, I put up w/ Nextel for the push-to-talk feature which came in handy. After Sprint "merged" w/ them my service instantly got worse and my bill went from being the same every month to fluctuating between 20-30 dollars more. When I called sprint they assured me that I was crazy and that the service was the same and that I must be doing something different. I wasn't and tried a number of times to remedy this to no avail. as soon as my contract ended I switched to Cingular.
Cingular was a godsend. It was cheaper. I had better service and my calls only dropped in tunnels! I was cheering! Even their customer support made me smile. AND THEN AT&T took Cingular back again. My bill is 5 bucks more a month (i checked w/ a few other customers they have the same problem) and for some reason (I don't understand how) I lose signal for no reason.

[Petesdaddy]

My cell phone was stolen from my car. I only used it for emergencies, so I didn't notice it right away. When I realized it was gone, I called Verizon and they told me that there were over 700 calls totalling almost three thousand dollars. I argued that they should have warned me of the unusual change in the usage of my phone. After haggling a little, the agent told me if i bought new service, Verizon would exonerate the charges. I said okay. She sent me an email confirming it. I got the new service and a bill for $3,000. I contacted a TV station that investigates cell phone company shenanigans. They said "Why would you offer new service to someone you thought owed you $3,000?" But Verizon was adamant that I had to pay the bill and that no promises were made. After many letters and calls to Verizon, the TV station finally got to a VP with the proof - that email their agent sent me. They threatened to go on TV with the story and the bill was exonerated. I'll bet that agent was fired for sending me that email.

[bookerone]

I was a Sprint long distance customer because I could get a fairly good rate on calling my Italian cousins without having to punch in a ton of numbers from a phone card. In February of 2007 my father passed away and I started making calls to Italy just I have done numerous times. On one of the calls for no reason an operator broke in and asked if I needed assistance I said no and she signed off. When my bill came the five of the calls to Italy were billed at the correct rate of 16 cents per minute, the sixth call, the one where the operator busted in was billed at $3 per minute. I called Sprint and they told me they had no control over the overseas operators and refused to make things right. I canceled my Sprint service and I complained to the FCC. The FCC did nothing...they sided with Sprint I shouldn't have used an operator. Just sign me screwed by Sprint and the FCC

[realitytrumpsbull]

If you look around at yard sales, you still
might be able to find a good condition C.B. radio...all it costs is the juice to run it...
can't check email on it, but do you REALLY need
email, anyway? A lot of people don't...just
a spam magnet unless you use it regularly...

[hontonoshijin]

I lived in Santa Fe. I was forced to choose Qwest as my provider for phone service, since there was no other option. They lied to me, charging me for a service they did not provide. I protested to the state Public Service Commission (I have worked for a PSC, so I know what is involved). The fellow I talked to sounded outraged and said he would check into the matter.

Some time later I called back and he told me he had checked into it and there was no problem. How had he checked into it? He called Qwest, and they told him there was no problem. I said, If you were a cop and I told you my house had just been burglarized, would you think the way to investigate would be to go ask the burglar whether he had committed the crime.