FCC proposes 911 fines for mobile carriers
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(InfoWorld) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Â has proposed fines totaling $2.8 million to three wireless carriers for failing to meet coverage requirements for an emergency dialing service called E911, the agency said Thursday. The FCC levied the fines against Sprint Nextel, Alltel, and U.S. Cellular for failing to meet a Dec. 31, 2005, deadline for having 95 percent of their networks capable of using enhanced 911, an emergency dialing service that gives dispatchers the location of the call. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said public safety is a top priority at the agency. "I recognize that the public expects us to get these issues right," he said in a statement. "Alltel, Sprint Nextel, and U.S. Cellular failed to meet this critical deadline by a significant margin, despite the clear requirements of the Commission and the needs of their consumers." Sprint Nextel would pay a fine of just over $1.3 million under the FCC's proposal, which the carriers can appeal. Alltel's fine would be $1 million, and U.S. Cellular's would be $500,000, an FCC spokesman said. As of the December 2005 deadline, 81 percent of Sprint's network had E911 service capabilities, while 74 percent of Nextel's network did, according to the FCC. The two companies merged in 2005. About 84 percent of Alltel's customers had E911 service, and about 89 percent of U.S. Cellular's customers did. Alltel and U.S. Cellular have since reached the 95 percent threshold, but Sprint Nextel has not, the FCC said. As of December 2005, 15 million Sprint Nextel customers did not have E911 service, the agency said. Martin called the fines "significant and appropriate." "On the wireless side, Americans increasingly expect that dialing 911 also means first responders can pinpoint a callerâs location, even when the caller is incapacitated or does not know where he or she is," he added. "Our actions today underscore the critical importance that 911 services play in the lives of the public."
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After proposing lifting the ban on use of mobile phones during commercial flights, the Federal Communications Commission is flooded with hundreds of e-mails from travelers who want to keep the ban in place and preserve their peace and quiet.
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By Vicki Lee Parker, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.  Sep. 10--An e-mail is making the rounds that warns people not to dial area codes 809, 284 and 876 because their accounts will be billed $2,425.
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Proposal would levy $2.8 million in fines to Alltel, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular for failing to meet E911 coverage requirements.
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal court to make two Florida companies stop telephone pretexting and to pay back victims of the practice.
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Some smaller ISPs want the FCC to designate an unused spectrum for nationwide wireless broadband.
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The government is seeking penalties against a Nevada-based telemarketing group for alleged violations of the federal do-not-call registry, making calls to more than 300,000 people whose numbers were on the list.
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WASHINGTON, Dec 15  - US telecom regulators began on Wednesday to ponder whether ending a ban on in-flight cell-phone calls would jeopardize safety or simply vex other passengers.
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Sprint and AT&T will pay nearly $1.5 million in civil penalties to settle government claims that the companies violated federal credit laws for customers seeking telephone service.
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The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed a $1.43 million indecency fine against ABC television stations for a 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue," the second-largest proposed indecency fine against a television broadcaster ever.
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Airline travelers might be able to  use their mobile phones and other wireless devices in the air  under a proposal put forward by U.S. communications regulators  on Wednesday to ease the current ban.
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Cingular Wireless has urged U.S.  communications regulators to reject a request by rival Nextel  Communications Inc. NXTL.O to lower the cost of its plan to  swap airwaves with the government, which is aimed at reducing  interference with public safety communications.
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Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay a fine and reimburse users who were disconnected for "excessive" use of a cellular broadband service that was marketed as allowing "unlimited" use, New York's state attorney general announced Tuesday.
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Regulators said on Thursday they had proposed penalizing three wireless carriers which the government says failed to meet new stricter standards for being able to locate cellular telephone callers in an emergency.
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New FCC mandates could ultimately hurt the MSOs.
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The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote today to exempt Internet-based phone companies from state regulation, a step that could help boost the emerging services.
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Motorists who use mobile phones could face up to two years in prison under new guidelines