Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Carriers Give In On Coverage Maps

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 10:53:28 -0400

Wireless Carriers Give In On Coverage Maps

Contributed by Mike Masnick on Wednesday, July 21 2004 @ 1:47pm
Politicians have been threatening to put a "Cell Phone Bill of Rights"
in place for years. The idea would be to force wireless carriers to open
up their coverage maps and allow early termination for those whose homes
or offices have coverage gaps.  Now, it appears that threats from
various state AGs has done the trick. Verizon, Cingular and Sprint have
now agreed to reveal the coverage maps and let people cancel within two
weeks of signing up for service... but only in 32 states, which sucks if
you're in the other 18 (or if you use a different carrier). Also, it's
unclear exactly which coverage maps will be revealed. The carriers have
been adamant that the detailed coverage maps they have are trade
secrets, so it still seems unlikely that they'll reveal them. The one
thing this might do, however, is really force them to be much better
about coverage gaps -- something that's been lacking (despit commercial
advertisements to the contrary). Of course, none of this helps if you
happen to move into a new home that is in a gap, but I guess there's
only so much consumer friendliness you can force on carriers at a time.

====================================================================================

Wireless Companies Enter Rights Agreement
The Associated Press

NEW YORK- Some of the nation's biggest wireless companies have just
become more accountable to consumers.
Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless LLC and the mobile unit of Sprint
Corp. entered into an agreement with the attorneys general of 32
states that will require the companies to provide coverage maps to
consumers and give new customers two weeks to terminate service
without penalty. The carriers also agreed to be more transparent in
their advertising.

The agreements end consumer protection investigations that focused
on allegations of misleading advertising and a lack of clarity on such
issues as where service is available, said Peter C. Harvey, the attorney

general for New Jersey.

The states in the settlement
are Alabama, Arkansas,
Colorado, Delaware,
Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New Mexico, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, Wisconsin and
Wyoming.

In addition to meeting the new requirements, the carriers will also pay
the states a total of $5 million for consumer education.

July 21, 2004 1:35 PM

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/24-07212004-334901.html

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