TRACNotes

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See Rate Increase March 1 - Many Sprint long distance subscribers will be paying more for their long distance service on bills sent out after March 1, 2004. Click here⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ for more information.

March 1 Rate Increases Affect AT&T Customers As Well - Customers whose AT&T long distance charges are included on their local service bills will see an increase in their AT&T Single Bill Fee from $1.50 to $2.49 per month. Also, the AT&T Minimum Monthly Usage Charge will increase from $5 to $7 for subscribers to the following AT&T pricing plans: AT&T 5¢ Evening Plan, AT&T 5¢ Nights, AT&T Cash Back 12¢ Offer, AT&T One Rate, AT&T One Rate 10¢, AT&T One Rate 12¢, AT&T One Rate 9¢ Global Plan, AT&T One Rate Off-Peak, AT&T One Rate Off-Peak III, AT&T One Rate Plan, AT&T Simple Minutes, AT&T True Reach. Additionally, subscribers to the AT&T eWeekends, AT&T One Rate Basic Plan, and AT&T One Rate On-Line will be assessed a $5 Minimum Monthly Usage Charge, effective March 1. The Minimum Monthly Usage Charge^(iv) is assessed when a subscriber's total monthly charges (excluding taxes, surcharges, and fees) do not equal the Minimum Monthly Usage Charge. Click here^(v) for more information.

WIRELESS WATCH

Consumers Should Consider Wireless Coverage Area When Comparing Plan - Consumers considering different wireless plans should be sure to investigate a carrier's coverage area before signing up for a particular plan. Some carriers tend to have greater coverage in rural and suburban areas, but poor coverage in urban areas and vice versa for other carriers. Most major carriers publish coverage maps on their websites, but these are often unreliable due to terrain, weather, customer equipment, network usage, and other factors. There are a number of ways to test coverage areas for a particular carrier. First, consumers should ask around with friends, family, and coworkers to determine if there is good coverage with a particular provider in the areas that the wireless phone will be used in most frequently. Second, there are a number of websites, such as www.deadzones.com, where users write in and identify "dead spots" where wireless calls are frequently dropped or where service is not available. Finally, many carriers offer a trial period so that new users can try their phone out before committing to a long term service contract. Additional wireless tips are available by clicking here^(vi). TRAC also offers a TeleTips Consumer Guide to Wireless Technology, available for purchase by clicking here^(vii).

SPAM WATCH

Department of Homeland Security Offers Unique Cyber-Security Listserv - In response to the havoc wreaked by the SoBig virus and Blaster worm, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT), a public-private partnership designed quickly provide cyber security information to organizations and individuals. US-CERT operates a listserv open to the general public to quickly alert users about computer security issues and how to protect themselves from them. Most recently, US-CERT alerted users about the MyDoom.B virus as well as new security holes found in Microsoft Windows. For more information, or to join US-CERT's listserv, click here^(viii).

INTERESTING LINKS

FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.gov

FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm

List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15

What do you think? Got a tip you want to share? Nominate your "Scam of the Week" and your "Tip of the Week" - If we select your submission, we'll give you a one-year free membership in TRAC and acknowledge your contribution by name in TRACNotes. Send an e-mail to trac@trac.org to submit your ideas!

©2004 Telecommunications Research and Action Center. TRAC grants unlimited rights to reproduce TRACNotes or any information contained in it provided attribution is given as follows: "Source:Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org"

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