manchicken here…

I just found out that Verizon Wireless filed suit in a Washington D.C. court of appeals on Monday against the FCC’s ruling that the 700MHz spectrum to be auctioned off next year must be open. What does all of this mean? Let me explain.

For as long as most of us can remember, television has been broadcast in an analog format using the 700MHz spectrum (over-simplification, but that’s as right as I can explain). With the TV stations moving to broadcasting in a digital format, the 700MHz spectrum is up for grabs and is going to be up for auction in 2008, and the wireless phone and internet companies are fighting hot and heavy for this space.

The FCC recently ruled that any winner of this spectrum is going to have to have an open network. What does this mean? Well for the longest time now, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, and several other US-based mobile phone carriers have only sold and allowed “locked” devices on their networks. This means that only approved devices running approved software that is locked down to Verizon’s specifications are allowed on the mobile networks. Most of the time this means that things like mobile web browsers, ring tones, games, etc, are all restricted to the ones that are purchased through your carrier, and you aren’t allowed to run your own.

This does two bad things: first, it locks you into a carrier and limits your ability to choose what software you want to run on your own devices, and secondly it prevents young people and individuals from controlling what takes place on the devices that they bought and paid for and own.

As many Europeans will tell you, there is a plethora of devices and carriers in various European countries that do not lock down consumers, and do not prohibit them from using their devices how they want to. Other countries have wifi capabilities in their phones, and more extensive bluetooth support and software support… in the United States the mobile phone carriers restrict these freedoms and force consumers to accept devices that are intentionally defective.

The FCC has acted to try and prevent this 700MHz spectrum–which would actually be able to provide the public with far greater mobile phone capabilities that we currently enjoy in the US–from becoming locked down like most carriers are now. They have ruled that the 700MHz spectrum is to remain free and unlocked for consumers, except for illegal and malicious hardware and software. Verizon Wireless is opposing this in court by filing suit this past Monday appealing the FCC’s rule. I only hope the courts decide to uphold the FCC’s actions to protect consumer freedom (for once).

I have contacted Verizon Wireless’ customer care department about this issue, and after much holding and confusion–evidently corporate Verizon Wireless doesn’t let customer care know when they’re doing things like filing lawsuits against the FCC–I’ve been given a link on a website and a mailing address.

I’ll be calling Verizon back daily until I get an answer, and I’ll be sending some messages around trying to figure out why they are against my personal freedom and privacy. Check back and I’ll try to post the whole ordeal.

The Address I was given is:

C/O Customer Service Dept.
Verizon Wireless
777 Big Timber Rd.
Elgin, IL 60123

And the link I was given is Click here

You can also read the Verizon Wireless customer agreement which allows Verizon Wireless to terminate your account for modifying your phone (doesn’t specify hardware versus software modifications) here: Click here

I encourage any and all Verizon Wireless customers to contact Verizon Wireless in regards to this very important matter of freedom.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 13th, 2007 at 17:23 and is filed under Free Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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