Hog farmers across the country are dealing with a pretty shitty problem. A mysterious fecal foam has begun bubbling up from beneath barn floors, down in the darkness where pig manure falls, burping dangerous quantities of methane and hydrogen sulfide. Sometimes, though, it ignites, blowing up not just the barn but all of the pigs inside.
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Snagging a subsidized phone after completing a two-year contract with US Cellular has meant not having to ink another 24-month commitment, but it looks like that’s about to change. We’ve gotten wind from an internal source that the firm will return to its old ways, requiring existing Belief Plan customers angling for discounted hardware to hitch their wagon to the carrier for an additional two trips around the sun. These changes aren’t slated to take effect until July 27th, so we recommend pulling the trigger on that upgrade you’ve been eyeing before then.
Update: We’ve just received a statement from US Cellular confirming the changes. Head past the break to read it in full.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
T-Mobile’s big no-contract, Uncarrier campaign just hit a bit of a snag; Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has ordered the company to correct the deceptive campaign, which promised no contracts and no commitment without saying anything about hardware subsidies. T-Mobile has agreed to update the ads nationwide. More »
The FCC took significant steps to cut the waste from its Lifeline phone subsidy program at the start of last year. However, it might not have gone far enough, if an FCC review of the program prompted by the Wall Street Journal is an indicator. Among the top five providers receiving money for telecom service to the poor in 2012, 41 percent of their customers either couldn’t or didn’t prove they were eligible. The lack of answers leaves a real possibility that some of the $2.2 billion spent on Lifeline in 2012 might have gone to those who didn’t need it. In response, the FCC is keen to claim that its reforms may have saved $214 million last year, but it isn’t happy that there may still have been money going down the tubes — it’s investigating the accusations and could levy fines of up to $1.5 million per violation. While only Verizon has gone on the record and says it’s been dropping customers who wouldn’t prove their eligibility, it’s likely we’ll know more about the potential excesses in the near future.
Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T
Source: Wall Street Journal, FCC
If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, both Nokia and Microsoft discussed strategy for the coming year and Verizon’s CEO shared his thoughts on the end of subsidies. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of January 7th, 2013.
Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of January 7th, 2013
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
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