SACRAMENTO — The nation's largest cellphone providers will pay a combined $116 million under a settlement approved Thursday in a California lawsuit alleging that they overcharged government customers for wireless services over more than a decade. Verizon will pay $68 million and AT&T Mobility $48 million to settle claims that...
Judge Clears Major Hurdle in T-Mobile's $26.5B Sprint Bid
NEW YORK — A federal judge has cleared a major path to T-Mobile's $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint, as he rejected claims by more than a dozen states that the deal would mean less competition and higher phone bills. Though the deal still needs a few more approvals, T-Mobile expects...
Justice Department OKs T-Mobile's $26.5B Sprint Deal
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are approving T-Mobile's $26.5 billion takeover of rival Sprint, despite fears of higher prices and job cuts. Friday's approval by the Justice Department and five state attorneys general comes after Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to conditions that would set up satellite-TV provider Dish as a fourth...
Robocalls Slammed My Phone. Are the Big Carriers Fighting This?
The phone tone warbled on my trusty, two-year-old Android. I looked at the screen. It wasn't a familiar number, but had Fresno's 559 area code. I accepted the call. A robotic, male voice began to alert me that my Social Security number had been suspended because of suspicious activity. Oh,...
Live Online TV, Once a Bargain, Is Getting More Expensive
NEW YORK — If you signed up to stream live TV in hopes of saving money over traditional cable, you may be in for a rude surprise. Live online-TV providers like YouTube TV, DirecTV Now and Hulu with Live TV lured users with digital "skinny bundles" that were cheaper than...
Did Fresno Botch Its Chance to Weigh in on Air Board Nominee?
Is this a good way to decide who sits on the Valley air board? I ask because six cities in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District failed to weigh in on the nomination of Clovis City Councilman Drew Bessinger, who by the way, wants the assignment. Fortunately for...
Did Fresno Botch Its Chance to Weigh in on Air Board Nominee?
Is this a good way to decide who sits on the Valley air board? I ask because six cities in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District failed to weigh in on the nomination of Clovis City Councilman Drew Bessinger, who by the way, wants the assignment. Fortunately for...
With FCC Net Neutrality Ruling, U.S. Could Lose Lead in Online Consumer Protection
The internet may be an international system of interconnecting networks sharing a rough global consensus about the technical details of communicating through them – but each country manages its own internet environment independently. As the U.S. debate about the role of government in overseeing and regulating the internet continues, it’s...
With FCC Net Neutrality Ruling, U.S. Could Lose Lead in Online Consumer Protection
The internet may be an international system of interconnecting networks sharing a rough global consensus about the technical details of communicating through them – but each country manages its own internet environment independently. As the U.S. debate about the role of government in overseeing and regulating the internet continues, it’s...