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August 28, 2006 9:15 AM PDT
Even the FCC has its limits
It's one thing for the telcos to lobby their way out of having to contribute a portion of their DSL proceeds to the federal Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes Internet access to schools, libraries, low-income households, and rural areas. Because who needs that, right? The FCC is totally cool with letting them out of that. But even the FCC wants to know how, exactly, Verizon and BellSouth will justify continuing to charge the exact same amount as the now-defunct USF fee and pocketing the cash. I'd like to know that, too. So far, BellSouth is the first to blink. The company said it will immediately stop charging you the bogus fee, now that someone noticed it's been charging you the bogus fee. Verizon, so far, appears to be sticking to its guns. Although, to be fair, Verizon was at least smart enough to change the amount of the fee by just a few cents to make things look slightly less obvious. Will it fool the feds? We'll be watching.
Originally posted at ComingSoon
As host of the Buzz Report video series, Molly provides a fresh and funny perspective on the latest consumer electronic products to hit the market, as well as commentary on the stories and development that she thinks are truly buzz-worthy. She is also co-host of Buzz Out Loud, CNET's "podcast of indeterminate length," which entertains listeners with a funny and skeptical take on the day's technology news. Her other podcast, Gadgettes, is proof that girls can be geeks too.
