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AT&T Launches Wireless Home Phone Nationwide

AT&T announced this week the nationwide launch of their Wireless Home Phone service, that allows customers to use their existing home phone, but instead of connecting through their home’s landline, calls and the internet are connected using the AT&T wireless network. The connection is made through a device called “Home Base” which will allow users to take their Wireless Home Phone and Internet service with them “on vacation, to a remote work location, second home, or any other location in the United States where there is an AT&T wireless connection,” according to the AT&T Consumer Blog. “Customers across the U.S. will be able to get Wireless Home Phone & Internet and enjoy more flexibility with their home phone and Internet service, all while keeping their budget in check.” In addition to being able to keep your current phone number, Wireless Home Phone also allows users to experience 4G LTE speeds on up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices. Plus, there’s no need to panic if the power goes out, the “Home Base” has a powerful battery that can help you stay in touch with up to 1.5 hours of talk time and 18 hours of standby time. With plans as low as $20 per month for home phone, the service is ideal for consumers in more rural areas where high-speed internet is harder to come by since AT&T’s wireless network covers more than 99 percent of all Americans. The announcement comes just weeks after AT&T’s plans to acquire DIRECTV became public. Should the merger go through, AT&T is committed to expanding its high-speed internet access to an additional 15 million customers in primarily rural areas where it doesn’t currently offer the service. AT&T said it would make those improvements within four years after it successfully sealed the deal. Interested in getting Wireless Home Phone in your home? Find the package that meets your family’s needs here!  

What You Should Know Leading up to FIFA World Cup 2014

With only 16 days until the World Cup kicks off, you might be surprised to hear that there are still big stories breaking. Here are a few things you should know. Perhaps the most surprising announcement from the American team came Thursday when Team USA’s coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, dropped Landon Donovan from this year’s World Cup squad. The news broke just a few days before Donovan broke the all-time MLS goalscoring record by scoring two goals in the LA Galaxy 4-1 win over Union on Sunday. It’s clear that this was a relatively controversial decision, but Klinsmann defends it by pointing out that Donovan didn’t “prove himself” in camp and that he believes that the other players he chose for the roster are a better fit for the formation he favors. Just because their players are representing the host nation doesn’t mean Brazil is immune to controversy leading up to the June 12 start of the tournament.  Brazil’s Players’ Federation filed a lawsuit last week against FIFA relating to the kickoff times for matches set for 1:00 p.m. local time. According to Sports Illustrated, the players are worried that players in these matches will be subjected to the “risks” of playing in “intense heat.” One alternative that the Federation is open to is the idea of two minute water breaks in each half. But according to ESPN, FIFA has said it will not be changing kickoff times as they always take the players’ health into consideration and that cooling breaks will be considered, but won’t be made mandatory. Enough about the drama surrounding the tournament, what about some tips on how you can experience the World Cup from the comfort of your own home? DIRECTV has announced they are offering a new way to experience the World Cup matches at no extra cost. First of all, all 64 matches will be broadcast in HD in Spanish, English and Portuguese as well as interactive apps in these languages. The real experience enhancer is the new five screen mosaic feature that allows subscribers to view different screens at once; a screen for the main game feed, game highlights feed, aerial tactical view, “team a” camera and “team b” camera. Want to watch multiple matches that were scheduled at the same time? No problem. Sports Mix channel will include all networks broadcasting matches and will present a special 2-cell configuration so you can watch both games at once! Make sure you’re ready for the tournament with packages that include networks broadcasting all 64 matches – find them here!

Net Neutrality – Who is Willing to Pay?

Following Netflix’s lead, Apple is reportedly willing to pay for better content delivery which makes them the next player up to bat against net neutrality. But the technology giant is said to be negotiating with various internet service providers (ISPs) whereas Netflix has only made a deal with Comcast – so far. The reports on Apple are based off of talk about frustration with the quality of their iCloud service which seems to be resulting in a plan to build their own content delivery network – where they would be able to place a server in multiple local locations rather than in one, central location. Considering that Apple distributes software updates, apps and media via the internet, this would make sense. Does it justify jeopardizing their customers’ right to net neutrality though? The FCC has been tasked with deciding whether or not companies should have the power to pay ISPs in order to affect the streaming delivery of their competitors. Net neutrality is seen by some as a consumer’s right. Take Google for example; the company announced that from an ISP perspective, they will not be making any deals that affect their customers’ net neutrality. Although Google’s Fiber ISP is currently only available in Kansas City and Provo, Utah, this is quite a big statement and makes their standpoint on the issue clear. However, a new report by Frost & Sullivan says the FCC’s involvement may be too little, too late. They report that content providers such as Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Apple and even Google (as a content provider in this case, not as an ISP as mentioned above) have already made deals with multiple ISPs like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and Sprint.

Verizon’s Future in the TV Industry

Verizon’s future in the TV industry has been the hot new merger topic after Sunday’s AT&T/DIRECTV announcement, but CEO Lowell McAdam quickly denied the speculations of a next step for Verizon to chase DISH. Speaking at an investor conference, McAdam clarified that there has not been any discussions with DISH on a possible merge. But would this be a good move for Verizon? According to speculators it is. There are good arguments on both sides; including the fact that DISH has valuable spectrum that Verizon could take advantage of. However, McAdam only confirmed the interest in the upcoming AWS – 3 auction to enhance the carrier’s existing 700 MHz arrangement. Let’s not forget that neither merger, Comcast/Time Warner Cable nor AT&T/DIRECTV, have been approved. The AT&T/DIRECTV deal, just announced this past Sunday, also includes an exit clause that is dependent on the renewal of DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket contract that expires at the end of the upcoming football season. Read more about AT&T / DirecTV’s agreement here. Perhaps it is too early to tell what Verizon will do, but needless to say all of the recent potential mergers have got the entire TV industry hot and bothered. Regardless of who merges with who, skeptics of the potential mergers are warning that if they are approved, consumers will see price hikes among other negative effects. The FCC has a lot on their plate, and AT&T/DIRECTV just added to it. Both mergers will need to be taken into consideration (as well as any future merger announcements) in order to make sure there is still ample and effective regulation. The FCC is also dealing with net neutrality decisions with Apple and Netflix making deals with internet providers ensuring better speeds for their content over their competitors. There is surely more to come – stay tuned!

AT&T and DIRECTV to Merge

In a $48.5 billion deal, AT&T has agreed to acquire DIRECTV. A move that increases their subscribers to about 26 million nationwide. The agreement includes an exit clause which is dependent on an extension of DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket contract that expires at the end of next season. If an extension isn’t made by the end of this year, AT&T has the right to walk away from the merger. With a Comcast and Time Warner Cable merger on the horizon, it seems as though an AT&T and DIRECTV merger would even out the playing field. There are some skeptics that aren’t quite convinced that the merger will have much impact since AT&T U-verse is currently only available to about 25% of the country. However, according to the agreement, AT&T is going to expand U-verse broadband service to 11 million homes. Another asset the merger would give AT&T is the acquisition of 83 percent of Brazil and 62 percent of Colombia’s cable and satellite customers that DIRECTV and America Movil currently control. America Movil representatives have yet to comment on the merger. What does this mean to you as a consumer? AT&T stated in Sunday’s press release that they are making a, “commitment to expand and enhance broadband to 15 million customer locations, primarily in rural areas.” They went on to say that the merger will offer a, “stronger competitive alternative to cable” and that the company will continue their commitment to net neutrality. Find out more here.

FCC Rules On Net Neutrality Proposal

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday in favor of new proposed net neutrality rules. Why should you care? The vote is the beginning of a long process of decisions that would affect the speed at which certain websites load based on agreements made between the website’s owner and internet providers. For example, NetFlix and Comcast have made an agreement where Netflix agreed to pay Comcast to ensure their content is loaded faster than their competitors. Is this fair? Should it be legal? It will likely be awhile before decisions and rules related to Net Neutrality are set in stone, but today’s vote marks the beginning of the road ahead. The voting was three to two in favor of the proposed rules that outline six elements*:
  • Whether or not wireless internet be included in the regulation
  • To expand the transparency requirement so that internet service providers will have to provide more info about how they manage their networks.
  • To use the same no-blocking rule, with a clarification that broadband providers – such as Comcast and Verizon –  will have to provide edge providers – such as Google, Amazon and Netflix – a minimum level of service.
  • To set an enforceable legal standard for determining commercially reasonable practices covering conduct that is not prohibited
  • To create a multifaceted dispute resolution process.
  • To rely on Section 706 authority – the FCC’s authority to regulate broadband distribution.
*Source: Multichannel News

On Demand Adding Programming from Turner Networks

Popular TV shows broadcasted on Turner Broadcasting System’s networks such as TNT, TBS, CNN, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network and truTV are going to be available on demand for Comcast customers through an agreement reached between the two companies. Perhaps not so surprising, according to Comcast, 70% of their customers use XFINITY® On Demand at least once a month. This suggests that those of us who binge-watch or play catch-up on seasons of our favorite shows aren’t alone! And now you can access several of these popular shows with a XFINITY subscription. Want access? Get the best deals on TV here!

NBCUniversal To Broadcast Olympics Through 2032

We’re all aware that putting on the Olympics costs the host nation billions of dollars, but have you ever wondered what it costs to broadcast the world’s biggest competition? With the latest agreements, NBCUniversal to broadcast Olympics, both Summer and Winter Games for the next 18 years through a couple of agreements. Having previously obtained an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for broadcasting rights through 2020 back in 2011, NBCUniversal extended the agreement to 2032 – for $7.65 billion with a $100 million signing bonus. With this agreement, NBC continues to grow as a player in live sports programming adding to the deals the network has made in recent years with the English Premier League, the National Hockey League and the National Football Leagues’ Sunday night games. Don’t miss out on any of the sports coverage NBC provides through its family of channels – sign up for a sports package today!

NFL Draft Starts Thursday

Whether you’re suffering from football withdrawals or still feeling the hype of last season’s Seattle Super Bowl title, it is already that time of year again; when NFL teams are scouting for new talent and evaluating if their current roster has what it takes in preparation for the NFL Draft. You can catch every second on NFL Network; the first round starts Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the second round is Friday at 7:00 PM ET and the third round will follow on Saturday at noon ET. Make sure you don’t miss out on all of those, “What are they thinking drafting him?” and the “Yes! We definitely needed him!” moments – find the perfect package that includes NFL Network here!

¡HOLA! TV To Launch On DIRECTV

Just a few months after its U.S. debut, ¡HOLA! magazine has partnered with Atresmedia and the duo just came to an agreement with DIRECTV to add ¡HOLA TV! to DIRECTV’s channel lineup in the U.S. ¡HOLA TV! is already available in the Dominican Republic and is planning on moving into Mexico next. With four programs based out of Miami, ¡HOLA TV! provides original programming focusing on the topics of lifestyle and reality – following the feel of the magazine. Other original programming includes coverage of entertainment news from Europe, Latin America and the U.S. Don’t miss out on this new and unique Hispanic programming – sign up for DIRECTV today!