Verizon Wireless `Mystery’ Charges Show Need for Oversight (USA)
According to three Democratic U.S. senators Verizon Wireless’s admission it billed customers for mistaken Internet access shows the need for regulators to oversee mobile-telephone billing practices.
As per the letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Mark Begich of Alaska, the Federal Communications Commission should remain committed to vigorous oversight.
The FCC is probing Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless company, for charging 15 million customers mystery†fees for data use on their mobile phones.
The FCC started its investigation 10 months back after customers complained about the fees, the FCC revealed in a statement on Oct. 3.
According to reports, Verizon Wireless has put the amount of the overcharges at more than US$50 million in the past two years.
Verizon Wireless which is owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc will refund the amount to 15 million customers in the next two months. The refunding per customer is between US$2 to US$6.
Text Messaging in cut-off Muslim region restored by China
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The mobile text services along with limited Internet access suspended for months following unrest in the Western province has been restored by China. 20 text messages a day can be send by the residents in the Xinjiang region, which is home to China’s Uighur ethnic minority but making international phone calls unless registered with authorities is still not allowed.
As far as the Internet service is concerned, only state-run news portals and certain regional Web sites are among the only viewable sites so far. Virtually all Internets, text message and international call services in the region was cut off in China after deadly ethnic riots claimed nearly 200 lives last July.
The Uighurs is mostly Muslim people that have sometimes complained of unfair treatment at the hands of a government led by China’s ethnic majority, the Han Chinese.
Zain Malawi gets 3G Licence.
MACRA has awarded a 3G licence to Zain Malawi, which is expected to enhance high-speed wireless internet access.
Zain marketing director, Enwell Kadango confirmed that discussions that started between the company and MACRA since 2006 has finally borne fruit as its licence conditions have now been changed.
3G is the telecommunication hardware standard and general technology for the mobile networking superseding 2.5G system which will now allow speed in data processing,†said Kadango who added that Malawi is taking after most developing countries that are using this technology.
Currently Zain Malawi is about to finish its equipment installation across the country which will be compatible with the new system which offers fast downloading speeds of between 2-8mbps.
Malawi’s Zain CEO Fayaz King said 3G would also allow users to watch television besides connecting to the internet and make video calls.
TNM Limited, Zain’s competitor in the market got the licence sometime back but it is only now that the company has been testing it.
Mobile porn laws to protect kids in Australia
AU : THE Federal Government last night vowed to introduce laws protecting children from pornographic images being distributed via mobile phones.
Communications Minister Helen Coonan told The Daily Telegraph the Government would extend censorship and regulatory laws to mobile phones and include penalties.
“I will introduce to Parliament legislation to extend the current safeguards that apply to content delivered over the internet or television to content delivered over convergent devices,” Senator Coonan said.
The changes will include prohibition of content rated X18+ and above, as well as requirements for age-restrictions on access to content suited only to adults.
These prohibitions will be backed by strong sanctions for non-compliance with the new regulatory framework, including criminal penalties for serious offences.
The move comes as child safety groups called on parents to not buy their children phones with internet access.
NetAlert corporate affairs adviser Rod Knockles said last night many parents may not know of the capabilities of latest generation mobiles.
About 40 per cent of mobiles sold are internet enabled, meaning they can download clear images either via email or direct from the internet.
“Parents should think about what age it’s appropriate to give their children mobile phones that are internet enabled,” Mr Knockles said.
These mobiles are expected to grow in use in the years ahead as telecommunications companies push for more revenues through online content.
Among internet-enabled phones, lower end devices have access to their operator’s “walled garden” of content which can include songs, pictures and ringtones.
Recent phones have full HTML browsing – they offer an identical internet experience to your PC, only on a smaller screen. This means the user can visit websites, including adults-only sites.
Third generation networks will make accessing the internet even faster.
Mr Knockles said the images were generally downloaded from home computers, so a family-friendly filter would provide protection.
NSW Parents and Citizens president Dianne Giblin said mobile phone were an essential part of life for children
Source- http://www.news.com.au
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