---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <n9u4fn$5fp$1@dont-email.me> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 22:22:16 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Comcast outages anger thousands across US by Jackie Wattles Comcast service outages sent social media ablaze with complaints from areas all across the country. The TV and Internet provider's customer service account, @comcastcares, was responding to an onslaught of unhappy customers on Monday. "[G]et more employees and offer same day help when there's a problem. It's 2016, we aren't sending snail mail for help," one Twitter user wrote. http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/15/news/companies/comcast-service-outage/index.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <n9ua97$upq$1@blue-new.rahul.net> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 20:58:45 -0800 From: John David Galt <jdg@diogenes.sacramento.ca.us> Subject: AT&T CEO Thinks You're A Forgetful Idiot, Hilariously Gives Apple Encryption Advice > You really can't find a pair of cozier bosom buddies than AT&T and > the NSA. Long before Snowden, whistleblowers like 22-year AT&T > employee Mark Klein highlighted (pdf) how AT&T was duplicating fiber > streams, effectively providing the NSA with its own mirror copy of > every shred of data that touched the AT&T network. More recent > documents have also highlighted AT&T's "extreme willingness" to help, > whether that involves having its employees act as intelligence > analysts themselves, or giving advice to the government on the best > ways to skirt, dance around, or smash directly through privacy and > surveillance law. Continue reading at https://www.techdirt.com/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <n9ua2u$ujg$1@blue-new.rahul.net> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 20:55:25 -0800 From: John David Galt <jdg@diogenes.sacramento.ca.us> Subject: States Wake Up, Realize AT&T Lobbyists Have Been Writing Awful Protectionist State Broadband Laws > For more than fifteen years now, companies like Comcast, AT&T, Time > Warner Cable and CenturyLink have quite literally paid state > legislatures to write protectionist broadband laws. These laws, > passed in around 20 states, protect the incumbent duopoly from the > faintest specter of broadband competition -- by preventing towns and > cities from either building their own broadband networks, or from > striking public/private partnerships to improve lagging broadband > networks. They're the worst sort of protectionism, written by ISPs > and pushed by ALEC and ISP lobbyists to do one thing: protect > industry revenues. Continue reading at https://www.techdirt.com/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <h_ydnUnr_-liLl_LnZ2dnUU7-eudnZ2d@giganews.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 23:30:39 -0600 From: Doug McIntyre <merlyn@dork.geeks.org> Subject: Re: Modern small business telephone systems? HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org> writes: >I was in a small pizza place and I noticed their busy telephones, ringing >with orders. I was curious how a small business would like that would >be connected to the network (e.g. classic landline, VOIP, other?), >and what kind of telephone sets would be used. >It appeared the place had three telephone keysets and three lines. >I don't know if they had any special features. Since it was a small >place, I don't think they had any need of an intercom or paging. >Could someone elaborate on what kind of telephone systems such a >place would have? Roughly, what would be their total monthly phone bill? Small Digital PBX systems are quite popular and afordable for small businesses. They can range from anywhere handling a half-dozen stations and a few analog lines, to many hundreds of stations with multi PRI trunks. Modern ones can natively deal with SIP trunks (ie. VoIP) or 1FB's. Many of them also are now doing VoIP out to the station as well as VoIP trunking to the public network, saving on redoing subpar wiring (or non-existant voice wiring) in favor of the ubiquitous ethernet cabling that is everywhere now. Ie. Something like this digital system is only $1500 with tech setup. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avaya-IP500-V2-Digital-VoIP-Phone-System-Package-w-6-9508-Phones-Voicemail-/ just picking out something at random on eBay (I have no knowledge of this system or company, it was just some choice out of a big list). Almost all the features you'd ever want come bundled in, there isn't any point in restricting the feature set, it is all software now. I'd say most buisnesses don't use even 10% of what they have. More elaborate setups are available. I think 1FBs are still popular, but it depends on who is contracted to put in the system. If it is an installer with a CLEC, they may get sold SIP trunks instead of landlines. From what I've priced out, a typical SIP trunk is $20-$30/month, so somewhere cheaper than a 1FB, but not earth shattering. I'd say most businesses don't care what they get, as long as it gets them what they need. -- Doug McIntyre doug@themcintyres.us ------------------------------ Message-ID: <na06m9$veb$1@dont-email.me> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 22:09:14 -0000 (UTC) From: David Clayton <dc33box-cdt@yahoo.com.au> Subject: Re: Comcast outages anger thousands across US On Mon, 15 Feb 2016 22:22:16 -0500, Bill Horne wrote: > by Jackie Wattles > > Comcast service outages sent social media ablaze with complaints from > areas all across the country. > > The TV and Internet provider's customer service account, @comcastcares, > was responding to an onslaught of unhappy customers on Monday. > > "[G]et more employees and offer same day help when there's a problem. > It's 2016, we aren't sending snail mail for help," one Twitter user > wrote. > > http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/15/news/companies/comcast-service-outage/index.html Do people actually realise that companies will not ever have heaps of people sitting around 99.9% of the time just in case there is a rare major outage simply to pander to their need for "support" (which usually means just telling them that the problem is being worked on)? I suppose if people are willing to pay 3 or 4 times what they pay now for this luxury then it could happen, but I doubt that they will take that option. -- Regards, David. David Clayton, e-mail: dc33box-cdt@yahoo.com.au Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Knowledge is a measure of how many answers you have, intelligence is a measure of how many questions you have. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <9e7abc88-7ba7-4312-bb4d-c48d080e5451@googlegroups.com> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:06:17 -0800 (PST) From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org> Subject: Re: Comcast outages anger thousands across US On Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 1:03:25 PM UTC-5, Bill Horne wrote: > Comcast service outages sent social media ablaze with complaints from > areas all across the country. With the numerous Comcast and Verizon outages, plus their difficulty in promptly resolving them, we really need to return to sensible government regulation. In some quarters, regulation is a dirty word, but the present system simply isn't working. It's just like the early 20th century, when the telecom industry was out of control. Regulation separated out Western Union from AT&T and allowed the independent telephone companies inter-connection rights and protection from being swallowed up. The telephone network thrived under regulation. We need: . Better security of the network so that the origin of illegal phone solicitors are identified. This includes spammers of text messages to wireless phones and those who illegally mask caller-ID information. . Adequate resources to prosecute illegal activity, including prompt suspension of service to illegal users. . Better reliability and problem resolution of traditional landlines and basic cable customers. . Better accessibility to qualified service representatives to handle service changes and complaints. Consumers shouldn't have to play games with ridiculous non-working voice recognition systems or call center clerks who lack the authority and skills to actually resolve problems. . Honest, clear pricing of all services, including clear explanation of any usage (voice or data) limits. When there are usage limits, consumers must be able to ascertain their consumption between billing cycles. Pricing games where a very high list price is quoted, but then a big discount price is offered to all should be eliminated. . Competent, properly screened and trained service personnel who make field visits. Avoid the use of sub-contractors except in emergencies. . Adequate competent personnel in central offices and network data distribution centers to monitor functionality and respond to problems. . Local service centers staffed with competent personnel where consumers can come in for assistance with their cell phones or cable boxes, or get other technical assistance. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <na0ap0$roq$1@dont-email.me> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 18:21:50 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: AT&T & Verizon Need To Change Their Marketing Plans Better Matters?: Here's Why AT&T and Verizon Need to Change Their Marketing Plans Saying your the best only works for so long if you're not actually better than your competition. For years, AT&T and Verizon have built their marketing around the idea that they had better networks than upstart rivals T-Mobile and Sprint. From "Can you here me now?" to "Better Matters," both wireless leaders have hung their hats on the concept that superior service justified higher prices. Of course, they never exactly came out and mentioned that they charge more, but especially over the past couple of years, T-Mobile and Sprint have moved toward discounts while AT&T and Verizon have been more expensive. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/11/better-matters-heres-why-att-and-verizon-need-to-c.aspx -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <na0a70$pr3$1@dont-email.me> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 18:12:17 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Verizon offering extra data again Verizon Again Offering 2GB of Bonus Data Per Month for XL and XXL Plans Tuesday February 16, 2016 12:45 PM PST by Juli Clover Verizon today announced the return of one of its popular data promotions, offering an additional 2GB of shareable data per month for both new and existing customers who choose an XL or XXL Verizon data plan when upgrading to a new device with a device payment plan or activating a new line. Verizon's XL and XXL plans are available to both individuals and families, providing 12GB for $80 per month or 18GB of data for $100 month, respectively. With the additional 2GB of data, which is available for the lifetime of the plan, customers can upgrade that to 14GB or 20GB. Verizon permits up to 10 lines to be added to an account. http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/16/verizon-2gb-bonus-data-for-xl-plans/ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Wed, 17 Feb 2016