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DSL Surcharge Plan Abandoned by Major Carriers
thedletterman writes to mention a USAToday article about the proposed surcharges on DSL lines. The FCC stepped in just as major carriers Verizon and BellSouth made moves to add a $1-$3 surcharge to their DSL services; they were coincidentally to add this charge just as the Universal Service Fund fee was being removed from all DSL services. From the article: "Verizon, in a statement, said it was dropping the new fee as a result of feedback from consumers: 'We have listened to our customers, and are eliminating the charge.' Gene Kimmelman of Consumers Union had another explanation: 'They got caught red-handed in a blatant consumer rip-off. Only under the pressure of regulators cracking down on them did they back off from this unwarranted charge.' The FCC last week sent Verizon a 'letter of inquiry,' the first step in a formal investigation."
Veriz0wn3d!
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
The FCC stepping up to actually protect consumers? Guess the Telcos need to buy off some more commissioners...
"we have listened to our customers, and are eliminating the charge."
I want to live in Verison world, where unless people tell you otherwise, they want to be ripped off.
I just can't comprehend how fucked up corporations are.
Didn't you study economics? Costs such as this used to be called "The cost of doing business". In today's modern economy however it is now known as "Sticking it to you as hard as we can and you can't do shit about it".
I look forward to seeing on my bill:
$5 Gas for installation truck fee
$10 Catered lunch for marketing dept fee
$20 Lack of alternatives in the market fee
$3 Sending you this abusive letter fee
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
If they had been paying off their politicians correctly and on-time, this would never have happened. Shame on you telecom companies. I hope you've learned your lessons.
Oh my God, the *last* thing you want to do is give me any real power. I'd wind up turning the world into radioactive rubble, and that's just if I won a city council seat.
Damned Federal Regulators! Just once I'd like to see a Liberitarian Administration in power that would once-and-for-all allow our precious Corporations the Freedom to conduct their business without the constant threat of Federal Regulators stepping in.
Then we'd see an Internet where I could watch Home Shopping Network in High Definition Video without having to worry that all the pipes will get filled-up by miscreants making free phone calls over the Internet, or posting to their silly little left wing communist hippie blogs.
How come slashdot still doesn't support the <SARCASM> tag?
The thing about things we don't know is we often don't know we don't know them.