Big business really wants to shove the $700 billion bailout down America's throat. AT&T and others want to scare us into supporting the bailout.

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Power Net Global (PNG) customers have reported to UCAN that their local AT&T bills show they've been switched to a new long distance carrier called Williams Communications.  Although PNG insisted customers received notice of this change, not one customer reported ever seeing any notice.  PNG told UCAN it had an agreement with AT&T not to charge UCAN customers.  AT&T said it had no information about any agreement.  So, what should customers do if they see these charges by Williams Communications?  Immediately call PNG at 1-877-441-6096 and let the company know that UCAN was promised all charges would be credited.

UCAN is distressed at calls from relatives of AT&T customers trying to cancel service for deceased parents.  And when we say "trying", that's exactly what is meant both literally and figuratively.  Without the account passwords, cancellation of service for deceased persons is almost impossible.  A FierceTelecom article written by Doug Mohney summed up the problem and provided two examples showing consumers in two states are not happy with these AT&T billing and cancellation practices.  Read More.

The 442 area code is invading North (San Diego) County. Can it be stopped from wiping out 760? The PUC has the final say, but you can e-mail the PUC to demand an overlay so you keep your current 760 area code. The options are:

1. 760 / 442 Overlay - You keep the 760 area code for your current number and get 442 area code for new numbers.

2. Split - You get 442 as your new area code.

E-mail the PUC at public.advisor [at] cpuc [dot] ca [dot] gov demanding implementation of the overlay and read more at Keep760.org for details on why the overlay is better for North County residents and businesses.

UCAN agrees with other consumer groups that the lengthy AT&T contract received by most residential customers was a shot in the arm alarm announcing price increases were coming and that we should be prepared for a raise in basic local telephone service.  Well, Thursday on 9/18/08, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved price hikes of up to $3.25 per month on land line phones for next year through 2010.   

Several UCAN members have contacted us about AT&T's new 16-page Residential Service Agreement which is accompanied by a notice that begins, "Enclosed is the new AT&T Residential Service Agreement for residential services provided by AT&T. Please read it carefully."

AT&T has sued Cox Communications for anti-competitive behavior at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). AT&T wants access to Channel 4, a Cox property that shows upwards of 150 Padres baseball games. The move is ironic.

In this morning's keynote from the "CTIA Wireless & Entertainment 2008" expo, show, extravaganza, cabal, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon agreed to speak in vague generalities and put no meat on the open access or open networks bones. Each carrier talks about major caveats to its "open" policies, and each carrier has significant differences in how they define "open." So for now, think of "open" as the new marketing buzzword, the new "green" if you will. Look for the use of "open" to increase in use as a feel good marketing tool, and its meaning and substance to be inversely proportional.

Here's an article on the keynotes from FierceWireless, CTIA: Carriers talk "open" network but no clear definition

A Sprint PCS customer in Connecticut wrote UCAN the following question and explained her personal story: How does joining an international calling plan for about a mone-month trip to Israel end up costing double the entire cost of the trip?  The customer stated she couldn't find out how this amount was derived because her bill had no itemized call breakdowns to show how the billing total was determined. The customer called to dispute the bill and requested itemization of her bill.  The response was a demand for payment or service termination within ten days of the date of the notice.  The notice was recieved on or about August 18, 2008 and was dated August 10, 2008.