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FROM: National Journal

Verizon Wants Protection On Surveillance

By Winter Casey

(Monday, May 7) Companies that cooperate with government in anti-terrorism surveillance programs should be given some legal protection, a telecommunications industry official said.

In terms of surveillance, Verizon Communications cannot acknowledge whether the company has engaged in such activity, said Tom Tauke, the executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications. But he added that Verizon believes cooperating companies should have some kind of protection for their actions.

from: Save the internet

‘Consumer’ Group Hides Verizon Link, Fails Smell Test

From SavetheInternet.com, May 9, 2007

A shadowy “consumer” group emerged from obscurity today to bleat about the dangers of Net Neutrality. And no sooner had their press release hit the PR Newswire than a chorus of industry apologists began waving it around as proof positive that Net Neutrality is a cancer on the Internet.

Note: This raises serious concerns for private citizens using telephone company services - phone, data and video. Telco Triple Play is now a triple wiretap opportunity with no legal privacy protections.

from: Ars Technica

Bush administration proposes retroactive immunity for phone companies

By Nate Anderson
| Published: May 04, 2007 - 01:33PM CT

from: Sun Sentinel

Titans battle for control of cable TV in Florida

By Josh Hafenbrack
Tallahassee Bureau

April 28, 2007

TALLAHASSEE · They've broadcast their talking points in campaign-style commercials, using the TV screens they're fighting over to argue about who offers the best deal for Florida cable customers.

from: Freepress.net

Mass. Gov. Accuses Verizon of Making Threats in Tax Dispute

From Dow Jones, April 23, 2007
By Corey Boles

“Verizon says that without the exemption telecommunications companies will not build broadband in western Massachusetts. But we’ve had this exemption in place for more than 90 years and western Massachusetts still doesn’t have broadband in place.”

from: The Massachusetts Curmudgeon

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Verizon is Scum

Verizon has been hard at work in Massachusetts finding new ways to screw over this state's residents. First off I notice that my phone bill has gone up by $2 for the last month. I check and find out that they now have no long distance plans that don't have a minimum fee. My wife and I never use Verizon long distance, so we get wacked a 2$ monthly fee because we don't use it. I want to find a business where I can send people a $2 bill for not using me. By the way if you are looking for this weasal fee, it's listed as a "shortfall charge" in the Verizon long distance portion of your bill. Currently I have phone and dsl service through them, but underhanded moves like this have me considering pulling out my landline all together and getting my internet through the cable company.

from: Herald Tribune

Cable bill could mean a windfall for Verizon

Debate over the legislation is one of the most intense of the session.
By DEVONA WALKER

The consumer broadband choice bill winding its way through the Florida Legislature could save telephone-company-

from: Boston.com

Verizon is pressured on network

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff | April 21, 2007

Senator John F. Kerry and Representative Edward J. Markey yesterday said they would send a letter to Verizon Communications Inc. demanding that it finish building a fiber-optic network to deliver TV, phone, and Internet service throughout Massachusetts.

from: Xchange Magazine

Verizon Details FiOS Local Programming Plans

By Bob Wallace
Posted on: 04/18/2007

Verizon executives detailed at NAB 2007 the company’s strategy for providing local programming as part of its FiOS triple-play bundle, just weeks after it launched its first channel in Washington, D.C.

from: Washington Post

NY Attorney General Cuomo slams Verizon service

Reuters
Tuesday, April 17, 2007; 4:02 PM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo criticized telecommunications company Verizon Communications (VZ.N) on Tuesday for "chronically poor" telephone repair service in the state.