Sprint-Nextel Announces Pro-Rated Early Termination Fee - Coming on the heels of similar announcements from Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility, Sprint-Nextel this week announced that it will begin pro-rating early-termination fees (ETFs) starting in 2008. The company also announced that they will no longer require a contract extension when subscribers change their rate plans. Sprint-Nextel did not announce specifics about the two changes, however. It therefore remains to be seen if they will pro-rate ETFs and allow plan changes without extension for all subscribers or only new and renewing subscribers. Also, there was no news regarding the scale Sprint-Nextel will use for the pro-rating. For example, Verizon Wireless only pro-rates their ETF down to a minimum of $60 on a two-year agreement even if service is discontinued the day before the contract ends. Sprint-Nextel may be reacting to its recent run of dismal customer service rankings on industry surveys. For example, new Sprint-Nextel subscribers receive a call from a customer service representative if they incur significant overage charges in the first six months of service so that the customer can be informed of service plans that more closely meet their usage patterns. For more information, click here.
What In The World Is the Google Phone? - This week, Google unveiled its long-awaited “Google Phone.” There was just one catch. It wasn’t really a phone at all. Instead, what Google unveiled was a new mobile operating system (OS) called Android, which Google hopes will help create a wave of innovation in mobile software applications. This is because Android will be based on the open-source Linux OS instead of the proprietary OS’ that other “smart phones” run. Multiple OS’ make designing software applications for mobile phones time-consuming and expensive. Google is betting that Android will lower this cost and in the end make it easier for subscribers to surf the web on their mobile phones (and use Google’s search engine). A number of large handset manufacturers, including LG, Motorola, and Samsung have already agreed to produce handsets with the Android OS and the first Android-enabled cell phones are expected to go to market in the second half of 2008. From a consumer point of view, the potential benefit of Android is that it could dramatically lower the prices paid for mobile applications, making it easier do many tasks that currently require a PC on a mobile phone instead. Consumer without Android-enabled phones should not worry however. Handsets with competing OS’ such as Symbian, Palm, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry will continue to function just fine and software for these OS’ will likely continue to be produced. For more information on Android, click here.
VOIP WATCH
Google’s GrandCentral Service Could Make Finding You Easier - Consumer know all too well the difficulties involved in switching phone numbers, whether it be due to a new job, a new house, or a new cell phone. The tedious ritual of e-mailing or calling all your contacts to give them your new contact information is familiar to most consumers. Wouldn’t it be great if there was one number that never changed that could reach you wherever you were? Google’s GrandCentral service, which is currently in an invitation-only beta testing phase, could do this. The service works by assigning a phone number of the user’s choosing to the user’s profile. User’s then use an online dashboard to assign their home, office, and wireless numbers to the profile. The dashboard can then be used to set which number you’d like to ring and which callers you want sent straight to voicemail. Options can be enabled to require callers to state their names before the call is passed on to the recipient or to send specific callers to specific numbers (such as having your boss always sent to your cell phone, for example). Users can even listen in to a voice mail as it’s being recorded and break in before the caller finished recording the message. There are some downsides to the service, however. As mentioned, the service is still in beta testing phase, so users who wish to reserve a number and start using the service will have to get permission from GrandCentral. Second, some of the more popular area codes are not available. For example, the 212 area code (Manhattan) is not currently offered. Third, international numbers are not available and faxes cannot be sent via GrandCentral. Finally, while the service is currently free of charge, there were plans to launch a premium level of service priced from $9.99 to $15 per month prior to GrandCentral being purchased by Google. For more information on GrandCentral, click here.
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
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