Wall Street Ponders Verizon, Comcast Merger Under Trump

For example, the elimination of Verizon would result in significantly less competition for Comcast in the Northeast United States. Currently, the Northeast is becoming one of the last places in the country Comcast hasn’t deployed usage caps, thanks in large part to Verizon’s FiOS domination of the coast. The end result of most of Hodulik’s scenarios would be higher rates and worse service for most consumers as Comcast gained a total monopoly in many east coast markets. Then again, Trump telecom advisor and former Sprint lobbyist Mark Jamison doesn’t believe telecom monopolies are real.

Source: Wall Street Ponders Verizon, Comcast Merger Under Trump | DSLReports, ISP Information

Verizon Routing Millions of IP Addresses for Cybercrime Gangs

Because spammers can’t easily obtain new IP addresses through legitimate means, they frequently resort to stealing IP address blocks that are dormant and aren’t being utilized by the rightful owners. There is a thriving black market in IP addresses; spammers don’t care whether the source of their IP addresses is legitimate or even legal. A cybercriminal that can steal a large IP address block (for example, a /16 or 65,536 IP addresses) can generate thousands of dollars per month.

Source: Verizon Routing Millions of IP Addresses for Cybercrime Gangs

Level 3’s Selective Amnesia on Peering

Fortunately, Verizon and Netflix have found a way to avoid the congestion problems that Level 3 is creating by its refusal to find “alternative commercial terms.” We are working diligently on directly connecting Netflix content servers into Verizon’s network so that we both can keep the interests of our mutual customers paramount.

via Level 3’s Selective Amnesia on Peering | Verizon Public Policy.

Verizon made an enemy tonight

Watch the video to feel the full pain. What you’ll see is that on Fios it streams at 375 kbps at the fastest. The experience sucks. It takes an eternity to buffer.

Then I connect to a VPN (in this case VyprVPN) and I quickly get up to full speed at 3000 kbps (the max on Netflix), about 10x the speed I was getting connecting directly via Verizon.

via Verizon made an enemy tonight.

From: Verizon’s Accidental Mea Culpa

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Verizon has confirmed that everything between that router in their network and their subscribers is uncongested – in fact has plenty of capacity sitting there waiting to be used. Above, I confirmed exactly the same thing for the Level 3 network. So in fact, we could fix this congestion in about five minutes simply by connecting up more 10Gbps ports on those routers. Simple. Something we’ve been asking Verizon to do for many, many months, and something other providers regularly do in similar circumstances. But Verizon has refused. So Verizon, not Level 3 or Netflix, causes the congestion. Why is that? Maybe they can’t afford a new port card because they’ve run out – even though these cards are very cheap, just a few thousand dollars for each 10 Gbps card which could support 5,000 streams or more. If that’s the case, we’ll buy one for them. Maybe they can’t afford the small piece of cable between our two ports. If that’s the case, we’ll provide it. Heck, we’ll even install it.

The great Verizon FiOS ripoff

After decades of demanding and getting rate hikes and tax breaks in return for promising to deliver broadband internet access to schools, libraries, hospitals and every home and business in their territories, Verizon is now making it clear that it is no longer expanding FiOS, its fiber optic cable service.

via The great Verizon FiOS ripoff.

America is 15th or 33rd in the world in broadband, depending on which international or research group you believe. The failure to properly upgrade the PSTN, and the con of FiOS expenditures, has cost a large swath of America — from Massachusetts through Virginia and the old GTE territories, such as parts of California — a generation of technology, innovation and GDP growth.

Verizon’s diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view

As it stands now, you pay your Internet service provider and go wherever you want on the Web. Packets of bits are just packets and have to be treated equally. That’s the essence of Net neutrality. But Verizon’s plan, which the company has outlined during hearings in federal court and before Congress, would change that. Verizon and its allies would like to charge websites that carry popular content for the privilege of moving their packets to your connected device.

via Verizon’s diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view | The Industry Standard – InfoWorld.

Also from: Net neutrality faces uncertain U.S. court ruling

Verizon argues that the FCC doesn’t have authority to regulate an information service, a class of communications that the agency has previously exempted from most regulation. The net neutrality rules are a violation of Verizon’s First Amendment free speech rights and its Fifth Amendment property rights, the company has argued.

Verizon Taps AlcaLu & Ericsson for 4G Small Cells

Verizon is calling 4G small cells a “complement” to its existing LTE network and distributed antenna system deployments in hard-to-cover areas like building basements. The operator currently has 497 live LTE markets, which represents 95 percent coverage of its existing 3G footprint.

via Light Reading – Verizon Taps AlcaLu & Ericsson for 4G Small Cells.

After Sandy’s destruction, Verizon switches to all-wireless service in Mantoloking

How does it work? A Verizon technician installs a small box with an antenna in your home. It plugs into an electrical socket and a telephone jack, which powers all the telephone jacks in the house. The device also accepts AA batteries or has a rechargeable battery pack if there is a power outage. Three AA batteries provide 36 hours of standby time.

via After Sandy’s destruction, Verizon switches to all-wireless service in Mantoloking | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com.

Verizon called hypocritical for equating net neutrality to censorship

Verizon is in the middle of a legal fight against the open Internet rules the Federal Communications Commission adopted in 2010. In addition to arguing that Congress never gave the FCC authority to regulate network neutrality, Verizon also claimed that forcing Verizon to abide by network neutrality rules violated the firm’s First Amendment right to free speech.

via Verizon called hypocritical for equating net neutrality to censorship | Ars Technica.

But CDT says Verizon can’t have it both ways. If Verizon is going to claim ISPs are “passive conduits” for copyright purposes, then in CDT’s view that implies that its routing decisions cannot be “active” enough to deserve protection under the First Amendment.

Verizon draws fire for monitoring app usage, browsing habits

Verizon Wireless has begun selling information about its customers’ geographical locations, app usage, and Web browsing activities, a move that raises privacy questions and could brush up against federal wiretapping law.

via Verizon draws fire for monitoring app usage, browsing habits | Politics and Law – CNET News.

Verizon Wireless’ marketing literature acknowledges that it sells “mobile-usage data that offers insights on the mobile-device habits of an audience, including URL visits, app downloads and usage.” (Not all carriers do: Google guarantees that its proof-of-concept Google Fiber project “will not engage in deep packet inspection” except when necessary to fend off network attacks.)