WILL THE FCC ALSO PEER INTO ATT-IPHONE DATA USAGE/BILLING?

Oct 13

Posted by

An update/comment below re the FCC Verizon probe, from the 50+ pages-long Apple Support Forums thread re Unknown Data Usage on iphones…

BTW, if you are having any of the same issues as described in that thread:  

The URL for complaining to FCC is:

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From: Apple Discussions Subscriptions <discusswatch@apple.com>
Date: October 13, 2010 9:21:37 AM EDT
Subject: Apple Discussions: Topic “Unknown data usage early morning” in forum “Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth” has been updated by B Shore


B Shore posted “Re: Unknown data usage early morning” in “Unknown data usage early morning” on Oct 13, 2010 6:21:18 AM.
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So ATT’s response was laughable and dangerous.  They have given the reps some boilerplate about all the things it could be.  Too bad none of them fit the facts – they might explain Received data, if you had those apps on the phone, but not huge chunks of Sent data with no Received data.  

Then they said the way to fix the problem was to delete your iTunes account!  They are so clueless – what a huge timewaster, when there is a much simpler way to stop the phone from sending diagnostic data to Apple.  (In Windows, right click on the phone in iTunes, choose Reset Warnings, say Disagree the next time you connect the phone.)

Though today’s news brings some potential good news.  

The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it is conducting an industry-wide investigation into cell phone billing practices amid complaints by customers of Verizon Wireless and other carriers of unwanted data charges.


The agency’s 10-month-long investigation, which it previously said was focused on Verizon, could subject other carriers to penalties if the FCC finds those firms charged “mystery fees” that violate its “truth and billing” guidelines. The agency didn’t disclose the names of other carriers that are being probed. An AT&T spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail that the company is unaware of an investigation into its practices. A Sprint Nextel spokesman said the company doesn’t generally comment on investigative matters at the FCC.

The investigation comes amid an effort by the FCC to step up its protection of consumers who are increasingly complaining of baffling charges on their cell phone and broadband Internet bills.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/10/fcc_investigates_wireless_indu.html

I hope they include ATT and Apple in the investigation, and look into the issue of phantom data usage on the iPhone for the way they’ve ignored these issues and wasted users’ time and money.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/10/fcc_investigates_wireless_indu.html
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Posted on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, in *FILE THESE and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.

  1. Backpacker57 | Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 8:20:17 PM

    One user just reported that he upgraded his iPhone 4 to iPhone OS 4.2.1 and his data usage is tracking with his app (DataMan) and with his phone and AT&T online billing for a couple of weeks—- since loading the new OS that resolves 40+ security issues.Fingers are crossed!

    Reply
  2. ParadiseMobi | Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:13:55 PM

    Hi Backpacker57, Ha, yes, I saw that exact same email in the AppleSupport thread. It would make sense in one respect, that the problems are with the iOS, since people using other wireless carriers besides ATT have also reported the problem. Then again I don’t exactly trust ATT either. And Apple’s non-participation in the thread & their recent persecution of brm123 isn’t much help (she was only trying to help, though that other person’s link to a copy of a prior letter from ATT’s Office of the President showed ATT’s typical non-helpful attitude from them).brm123 asked if there was another place discussions could take place besides AppleSupport Forums that would be free from Censorship: 1. I suggest either using this post, for example, since anyone can comment; 2. Or set up a separate free Posterous Acct with an appropriate title & allowing comments without moderation;3. Or an even better email-list to use would be YahooGroups, fairly easy to set up, allow “anyone can post,” no moderation, etc. People can subscribe to the email list Only (vs actually “joining the Group”), & choose Individual Emails or a Daily Digest version. There’s definitely no Censorship at YahooGroups, except whatever the Group Owner would choose.——However, if the latest iOS fixes the problem for everyone, then this 6-months-long problem will be solved & the discussion will finally die off.

    Reply
  3. ParadiseMobi | Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:19:16 PM

    PS: I wonder if Apple Mods would even let me post the above suggestions to the thread re setting up a discussion email list elsewhere? :-/

    Reply
  4. ParadiseMobi | Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:26:32 PM

    And I forgot to add: Apple Mods claiming brm123 was conducting a POLL was ridiculous. Everybody KNOWS what a POLL is (except Apple evidently), & her including the name & phone of ATT’s Office of the President definitely does NOT fall into the category of a POLL.

    Reply
  5. ParadiseMobi | Monday, December 20, 2010 at 6:24:23 AM

    12/20/10:  LIST OF IPHONE & INTERNET BIG BROTHER NEWS:Posted 12/19/10:DEADLINE: FCC TALMUDISTS TO VOTE Re INTERNET FREEDOM 12/21/10:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/deadline-fcc-talmudists-to-vote-re-internet-f———————————-Posted 12/19/10:NEW “SCARY” IPHONE SPY INFO FROM IPHONE USER:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/new-scary-spy-info-from-iphone-user———————————-Posted 12/19/10:ATT/IPHONE CLASS ACTION COMMENT REMOVED – AGAIN!:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/attiphone-class-action-comment-removed-again(Same thing happened in July.  Link further below).———————————-Posted 12/19/10:”YOUR APPS ARE WATCHING YOU” – WSJ Investigates iPhone & Android Apps:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/your-apps-are-watching-you-wsj-investigates(See also similar AP news article from July, further below).———————————-Posted 12/19/10:APPLE COWARDLY REMOVES CHRISTIAN APP from APP STORE:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/apple-cowardly-removes-christian-app-from-app———————————-Posted 12/14/10:1984 COMES TO IPHONE via NAZI SNITCH “PATRIOT APP”:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/1984-comes-to-iphone-via-nazi-snitch-patriot———————————-Posted 12/7/10:12/6/10: Consumer Reports says: AT&T: America’s Worst Wireless Carrier:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/12610-consumer-reports-says-att-americas-wors———————————-Posted 11/19/10:GREAT ADVICE re HANDLING ATT/IPHONE DATA USAGE OVERAGES:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/great-advice-re-handling-attiphone-data-usage———————————-Posted 11/18/10:IPHONE-ATT MYSTERY DATA USAGE CONTINUES:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/iphone-att-mystery-data-usage-continues———————————-Posted 10/13/10:WILL THE FCC ALSO PEER INTO ATT-IPHONE DATA USAGE/ BILLING?:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/will-the-fcc-also-peer-into-att-iphone-data-u———————————-Posted 10/13/10:GOOGLE to IPHONE: “YOUR COMPUTER IS SENDING AUTOMATED REQUESTS” – HUH?:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/google-to-iphone-your-computer-is-sending-aut———————————-Posted 9/25/10:APPLE DELETES ATT/NSA SPY DOCUMENTATION FROM “MYSTERIOUS IPHONE DATA USAGE” THREAD:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/apple-deletes-attnsa-spy-documentation-from…———————————-Posted 8/12/10:COPS LOVE IPHONE DATA TRAIL:http://mobicritique.amplify.com/2010/08/12/cops-love-iphone-data-trail-nogall…http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/cops-love-iphone-data-trail———————————-Posted 7/30/10:7/29/10 ATT DATA USAGE GIZMODO RESPONSE:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/72910-att-data-usage-gizmodo-response(What a sell-out Gizmodo was!)———————————-Posted 7/30/10:7/30/10: ATT/IPHONE CLASS ACTION COMMENT REMOVED:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/73010-attiphone-class-action-comment-removed———————————-Posted 7/30/10:7/28/10: iPHONE APPS SPY ON YOU (Yahoo News/AP Article):http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/72810-iphone-apps-spy-on-you———————————-Posted 6/29/10:WHAT’s LURKING IN YOUR IPHONE DATABASE?:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/whats-lurking-in-your-iphone-database———————————-Posted 11/8/09:BIG BROTHER iPHONE?:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/big-brother-iphone———————————-Posted 11/7/09:RFID + iPHONE: Wooowooo!:http://paradisemobi.posterous.com/rfid-iphone-wooowooo———————————-

    Reply
  7. ParadiseMobi | Monday, January 31, 2011 at 6:59:15 AM

    Hi there Nemo, thanks for the link, ha.  I guess Walt French hasn’t seen the extremely long Apple Forums thread re that very thing.  The WSJ blogger should have included it.  (If having an account/login was not required, I would have added the link.  Having to always have accounts &/or login all across the web for every little thing is a real pain.  I’m totally against it.  That’s one good thing re Posterous, I set all my blogs for open commenting, no log in required, simply because I myself find it to be such a pain in the neck. :)As for the “spectrum” the FCC is wanting for wireless uses, they are wanting to take it from TV stations:http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2010/11/articles/broadband-report/fcc-adopts-…This was interesting:  One of the FCC Commissioners basically asked, “If Broadcasters are not using all of their allotted spectrum, why don’t they themselves offer wireless services?” (instead of the FCC taking the unused spectrum back from TV stations & then re-issuing it out to wireless providers).  Ha.  Good question.  If they go that route, we one day might would have wireless plans from local TV station WXYZ.  :)   —————-

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