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Major U.S. Internet Firms Agree To Not Cancel Service Over Next 60 Days (reuters.com) 29

Posted by msmash from the good-move dept.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday that major internet providers -- including Comcast, AT&T and Verizon Communications -- have agreed to not terminate service for the next 60 days if they are unable to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus. From a report: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said after calls with companies and associations the firms have also agreed to waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic and open Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.
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Major U.S. Internet Firms Agree To Not Cancel Service Over Next 60 Days More

Major U.S. Internet Firms Agree To Not Cancel Service Over Next 60 Days

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  • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday that major internet providers -- including Comcast, AT&T and Verizon Communications -- have agreed to not terminate service for the next 60 days if they are unable to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus.

    Okay, so the major internet providers won't terminate their services if they can't pay their bills... to the government?

    • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday that major internet providers -- including Comcast, AT&T and Verizon Communications -- have agreed to not terminate service for the next 60 days if they are unable to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus.

      Okay, so the major internet providers won't terminate their services if they can't pay their bills... to the government?

      At first I thought it was merely TFS and some horrible intepretation.

      Then I read TFA, and saw it was just as bad.

      Not Bizarro World. Just absolutely horrific writing. Also known as 21st Century reporting.

    • I saw a Meme on a Social Media Site saying this is just like the Plague but with Wi-Fi.
      However for a lot of businesses playing hardball with its customer base will probably backfire for the long run. While giving people minimal reprieve will not terminate service and not charge late fees. Will make sure when this problem dies down to a manageable level. They are not facing a backlash of angry customers either ones who have to face a huge bill, or finding their relatives have lost service. Telco Companies

    • They are trying to keep the Internet working as a partial mitigation of the economic damage. As I've been advocating for a while now, I think they should eliminate data caps and stop charging for phone calls, too. Not just to reduce the economic damage but to more strongly encourage people to avoid face-to-face meetings where Covid-19 can spread.

      However, when you focus on people who are having trouble paying their bills, Trump's supporters do leap to mind. Maybe the Donald is afraid of losing touch with his

  • Just in case anyone needs any further convincing that internet access should be a public utility, consider the importance of internet access to the public right now.

    • [C]onsider the importance of internet access to the public right now.

      A man can't self-quarantine with pr0n, right?

      • "without", dammit. A man can't self-quarantine without pr0n, right?
        • Just find a willing partner that is also infected. In fact instead of Tinder there should be an app called 'Leper Colony' for that.
          • Reminds me a good joke. What did the leper say to the prostitute?

            "Keep the tip."

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by Anonymous Coward

              Because tips (in the normal sense) aren't usually kept?

              "How very odd! I left a tip for that waitress and she actually KEPT it! I'm speaking to her manager!"

              That's a really idiotic "joke" which hinges on a non-sequitur, thereby making it not a joke.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by shanen ( 462549 )

          We all knew what you meant the first time.

      • Yea the old argument, there is a tool/service that has been found to be extremely useful and handy, which has became imbedded in daily life. However we don't want to make it publically available, because people can use it for fun.

        TV, Radio, Internet... Nearly all forms of communication are probably 90% entertainment and 10% useful or informative.
        However that 10% is often very useful and worth the 90% frivolity.

  • Netflix has to offer free service

  • This is especially significant given that the usage, and thus in some cases the bills, will go up due to the added activity (both business and entertainment) by the sequestered. For instance: the equivalent of the housebound Italian kids' Fortnight marathon. [slshdot.org] Some phone companies' automation starts procedures leading to disconnection when a dollar threshold is crossed.

    This is doubly important: First, cutting off the net obviously cuts off most of what's left of the sequestered's lifeline. But second:

    Keep

    • most ips's have an MAX overage fee Comcast has one of the highest $200 per month.

      • Comcast only charges overage fees if you exceed the cap for three months within a rolling 6 month period.

        • The point isn't what triggers the overage fees, the point is that
          a) the overage fees are unlinked from traffic shaping, so are gratuitous money grabs,
          b) while they won't be shutting off service for failure to pay, they also won't be forgiving any such fees. Thus, the fees will accumulate. And the ISPs will insist that these people who apparently can't afford the fees now pay even more fees, interest on fees, etc.
          c) get good press while thus taking advantage.

          And because of market monopolies (or duopolies)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by shanen ( 462549 )

        Per my earlier comment, all data caps should be dropped. Also they should stop charging by the phone call, but just encourage everyone to do anything that does NOT involve face-to-face contact.

    • FREE hbo, show, starts can help

  • perhaps this will compel the FCC to revise the definition of Broadband and push for min. of 100Mbps for all Internet access. I can't imagine trying to remote work with a 2-3Mbps line. (yes, I'm old enough to have worked with a dial up modem, but the content used was completely dfferent!)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Zak3056 ( 69287 )

      You can push an X session, RDP session, VNC, TeamViewer, etc, over 64kbit without too much trouble.

  • More than anything else this shows (Score:5, Insightful)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Friday March 13, 2020 @02:17PM (#59827192)
    The Internet has become an Essential Service, on par with Water, Electricity and Telephone. It should be treated as such.
  • So, everyone is just planning to work from home for the next two months? ROFL! I guess the magic bean juice has worked it's way into our network infrastructure, and magically the capacity from edge to core has increased. I was talking with a friend this morning who said their cable provider provides a dedicated line for their business. I said, yes that is normally true... but, a DOCSIS 3 modem is still a shared media experience. the more people on the circuit, the slower it goes... My business cir

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