AT&T is reportedly following in the footsteps of rival Verizon in rising its upgrade and activation fees.
According to a report from DroidLife, the carrier is planning to bump the aforementioned fees by $5 starting on Jan. 20.
AT&T’s new upgrade and activation fee will run consumers $25, which is still $5 less than Verizon’s new $30 fee for customers who buy devices at the full retail price.
Speaking of Verizon, customers who still have a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are running out of time on that network. The carrier recently told Fortune it plans to reroute outgoing calls – emergency calls to 911 excepted – from the “thousands” of customers who still have the device to customer service. Verizon said it is also contemplating billing remaining Note 7 holders for the cost of the device since it already distributed reimbursements for the cost of the phone at the time of the recall in anticipation of returns.
Samsung is expected to announce the results of its investigation into what caused the Note 7 overheating issue sometime this month, but its $100 exchange credit offer is set to expire tomorrow.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai might be one step closer to the Chairman’s seat following a recent meeting with soon-to-be-President Donald Trump.
According to multiple reports, Pai met with Trump on Monday at Trump Tower, as did Republican FTC member Joshua Wright. Inside Radio reported a slip of the tongue from Trump White House spokesman Sean Spicer – who accidentally called Pai “the current FCC chairman” – indicates Pai is fairly certain to take the helm at the FCC following Trump’s inauguration on Saturday.
An interesting piece from Broadcasting and Cable suggests further changes may be in store for the FCC under Trump, including a restructuring of FCC bureaus and the shifting of “duplicative” functions – like consumer protection – to other agencies.
Mobileum, a provider of roaming systems and analytics solutions for telecoms, has appointed Arun Sarin to its board of directors. In his new position, Sarin will share guidance around the company’s portfolio, and offer insight supporting Mobileum’s commitment to the digitalization of the telecommunication industry.
Sarin formerly served as CEO of telecom giant Vodafone Group plc from 2003 until 2008, and was reportedly the driving force behind Vodafone’s strategic move into emerging markets and data services, serving 300 million customers. He also serves on the board of directors of Ola Cabs, Cisco Systems, Charles Schwab, and Accenture.
Rise Broadband extended its communications network in 10 markets in conjunction with the FCC’s Connect America Fund program. Market areas include communities in Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, and Kansas.
“Because we deliver internet/phone service through a wireless connection, our customers get fast, reliable and affordable access in areas often under-served by wireline carriers,” Rise Broadband President and CEO Jack Koo, says. “In doing so, we connect people with the enhanced information, entertainment, and education they desire while supporting and bolstering each area’s economy in the process.”
In 2015, Rise began upgrading its markets to Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, providing speeds up to 50 Mbps. To date, more than 40 markets have reportedly been enhanced and others are scheduled over the next nine to 15 months.
