At Least One Major Carrier Lied About Its 4G Coverage, FCC Review Finds (arstechnica.com) 46
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Four months after receiving a complaint claiming that Verizon "grossly overstated" its 4G LTE coverage in government filings, the Federal Communications Commission says that at least one carrier is apparently guilty of significant rules violations. The FCC did not name any specific carrier in its announcement and did not respond to our question about whether Verizon is among the carriers being investigated. But the investigation was apparently triggered by a complaint about Verizon filed in August by the Rural Wireless Association (RWA).
The RWA, which represents rural carriers, made its case to the FCC by submitting speed test data. The speed tests showed the Verizon network wasn't providing 4G LTE service in areas that Verizon claimed to cover, according to the RWA. Inaccurate coverage maps could make it difficult for rural carriers to get money from the Mobility Fund, a government fund intended for unserved areas. "A preliminary review of speed test data submitted through the challenge process suggested significant violations of the Commission's rules," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday in his announcement of the FCC investigation. The FCC said its investigation focuses on "whether one or more major carriers violated the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) reverse auction's mapping rules and submitted incorrect coverage maps."
The RWA, which represents rural carriers, made its case to the FCC by submitting speed test data. The speed tests showed the Verizon network wasn't providing 4G LTE service in areas that Verizon claimed to cover, according to the RWA. Inaccurate coverage maps could make it difficult for rural carriers to get money from the Mobility Fund, a government fund intended for unserved areas. "A preliminary review of speed test data submitted through the challenge process suggested significant violations of the Commission's rules," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday in his announcement of the FCC investigation. The FCC said its investigation focuses on "whether one or more major carriers violated the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) reverse auction's mapping rules and submitted incorrect coverage maps."
Coverage maps lie? (Score:3)
Like the old joke about politicians.
Q: How do you know a politician is lying?
A: His/her lips are moving.
In much the same vein, you know a coverage map is lying because the carrier provided it.
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In this case though they lied to the federal oversight organization in order to secure extra incentives. It'd be nice to see that carry the same penalties as intentionally lying on any other federally mandated oversight, such as taxes or other financial statements.
Personally I think that should at a minimum involve jail time for the executive responsible for having the reports produced, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Repayment of incentives is a good start, but offers no discouragement. Perhaps repayment of X*incentives received, where X is at least 2. Even if it's accidental, you still lose at least as much as you temporarily won. Make sure everyone has a substantial incentive to validate their data *before* applying for the benefits.
With further penalties for any _individuals_ found to be involved in intentional deception. If you want to risk jail or personal fines in order to obey your boss, that's your business
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Why? It's not the buyer that's betraying the nation, it's the seller.
I'm still waiting for political corruption to be recognized as the treason it is, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Those responsible for the lies . . . have been sacked:
https://news.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]
Those responsible for the sacking . . . will also be sacked:
https://news.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]
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Fine. (Score:1)
Now ban them from receiving all Mobility Funds in the future. Maybe even sue them to get past funding back.
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https://www.fcc.gov/mobility-f... [fcc.gov]
Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) will make up to $4.53 billion in support available over 10 years to primarily rural areas that lack unsubsidized 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. MF-II is critically important to supporting mobile voice and broadband coverage, incentivizing the deployment of mobile wireless service through a reverse auction, and ensuring that 4G LTE service is preserved and advanced in those areas of the country that lack unsubsidized service.
Oh really!!??? (Score:4, Insightful)
Damn, next you're going to tell me the Sun is hot.
I'm under the weather a bit (Score:1)
They didn't name the company. *coughcast*. I wonder who could possibly be that slimey. *coughcast* *coughcast*
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It was intended as joke. I guess it flopped. C'est la vie.
And Pai's covering for Verizon as usual (Score:3)
Not announcing any names till he figures out how to not implicate his corporate masters at Verizon. Given how this investigation started, and given they're evil bastards who lie about everything I have no doubt they're one of the firms. The only question is who else?
I'm sure gigantic fines of maybe $10000 will be applied. That'll teach 'em.
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Re: And Pai's covering for Verizon as usual (Score:2)
Why fines? Suspend their license to operate transmitters anywhere for one month per area they've lied about.
Far worse than any fine, and the FCC have absolute authority on transmitters.
Re: And Pai's covering for Verizon as usual (Score:1)
Well thar wold have a negative effect on costumers in ateas they do have coverage, thst would not be fair on them
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The FCC says there's competition.
If the FCC are lying, that's the FCC's look out.
Ajit Shitstain won't do anything (Score:2)
But it's not like Verizon's lapdog is going to do anything. So there's nothing Verizon is worrying about.
I'll wager T-Mobile (Score:1)
I have Verizon. My business partner has T-Mobile. We travel for business often. Every time we get to an area that isn't urban his phone stops working (we even SIM swapped to a spare device to make sure it isn't his phone). The T-Mobile coverage map would say full LTE coverage around us for miles but no T-Mobile coverage was there at all.
My Verizon phone worked even when the map said it shouldn't. So don't be so quick to jump to conclusions.
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Maybe learn to read the whole summary?
But the investigation was apparently triggered by a complaint about Verizon filed in August by the Rural Wireless Association (RWA).
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Yes and if you continue reading past what you quote mined it clearly states in both the summary and article that this all started due to a complaint about Verizon.
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I live south of Baltimore MD, and my daughter was attending college in Fairmont WV. The Verizon map showed (as of three or four years ago) continuous coverage from here to there, and there. There was not; there were numerous long gaps along I-70 and I-68 between Frederick MD and somewhere in eastern WV, and no coverage whatsoever that I ever discovered in Fairmont or the surrounding area for ten or so miles--not even at Fairmont State University, which is on a hill above much of the city of Fairmont. It
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The selection of device makes a huge difference for TMO.
Pretty much only the latest generations of Galaxy S8 or higher (or Apple Iphone X) support all of the bands they use to the fullest extent.
e.g. for rural coverage, they might deploy only band 71 // 600mhz band for LTE coverage, rather than putting GSM/UMTS out, simply because there's not enough demand for the closer tower spacing required for 1900 coverage.
Get OpenSignal (Score:4, Informative)
Run it, use its maps. Carriers lie, radios don't.
https://opensignal.com/ [opensignal.com]
The head of the FCC is bankrolled by Verizon (Score:2)
So we already know there will be no penalties, merely some stern words in exchange for an under the table donation.
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I've reported to FCC and others that carrier maps in my city are blatently wrong and provided specific gps coordinates and reasons what the blockage is. They include areas that never have service due to hills and obstructions...these areas are not small. The response I got was, the carrier says they do have correrage of that location.
Ah, but you are a plebian. A commoner. A mere consumer. You are nothing. When the Rural Wireless Association complains, that means businesses are being affected. And businesses are real people. So something must be done. It will be a very minimal something because the businesses being affected are tiny and not good campaign donors, and the business doing the lying is huge and a very very good campaign donor. But something will be done. A one time fine of $10,000 was mentioned. That sounds about ri