Da-Chief
03-24-2008, 15:59
http://i.dslr.net/urls/92/792.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Cable-Verizon-Being-Sleazy-In-VoIP-Battle-92923)
Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Brighthouse have been accusing Verizon of sleazy tactics (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2008-03-23-phone-cable-wars-Verizon_N.htm?csp=N008) in the war over voice customers. According to the cable companies, Verizon is using number portability requests as an opportunity to market to customers who have already chosen to defect to cable VoIP. Verizon receives the port request, pitches the customer with free gift cards or other offers, and then cancels the transfer if their marketing succeeds. While the cable companies say this violates FCC rules (http://www.corpsman.com/r0/download/1290028~e5366a9cac2b32fe412c735627bcfdf9/FCC-02-214A1.pdf) (pdf), Verizon says all's fair in love and VoIP:Verizon says constraints on the use of proprietary information were not meant to apply to phone-number transfers. In those cases, it says, the cable company is acting on the customer's behalf that's how Verizon is notified to cancel the service. If it can't respond and try to retain the customer, cable would have an unfair advantage, Verizon says. Why? A cable customer who switches to Verizon for TV must call to cancel cable service, giving the cable company a chance to try to keep its customer.
Verizon's David Fish says the cable companies are trying to "block consumer choice."
Of course when the four largest phone companies are losing 2.6 million landline customers per quarter (about half of those to cable VOIP), they apparently need all the help they can get.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Cable-Verizon-Being-Sleazy-In-VoIP-Battle-92923)
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Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Brighthouse have been accusing Verizon of sleazy tactics (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2008-03-23-phone-cable-wars-Verizon_N.htm?csp=N008) in the war over voice customers. According to the cable companies, Verizon is using number portability requests as an opportunity to market to customers who have already chosen to defect to cable VoIP. Verizon receives the port request, pitches the customer with free gift cards or other offers, and then cancels the transfer if their marketing succeeds. While the cable companies say this violates FCC rules (http://www.corpsman.com/r0/download/1290028~e5366a9cac2b32fe412c735627bcfdf9/FCC-02-214A1.pdf) (pdf), Verizon says all's fair in love and VoIP:Verizon says constraints on the use of proprietary information were not meant to apply to phone-number transfers. In those cases, it says, the cable company is acting on the customer's behalf that's how Verizon is notified to cancel the service. If it can't respond and try to retain the customer, cable would have an unfair advantage, Verizon says. Why? A cable customer who switches to Verizon for TV must call to cancel cable service, giving the cable company a chance to try to keep its customer.
Verizon's David Fish says the cable companies are trying to "block consumer choice."
Of course when the four largest phone companies are losing 2.6 million landline customers per quarter (about half of those to cable VOIP), they apparently need all the help they can get.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Cable-Verizon-Being-Sleazy-In-VoIP-Battle-92923)
More...