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Note the wonderful statement by Verizon's spokesperson:
"In a marketplace like this, oftentimes the competitor won't respond by lowering prices, but will respond in other ways" such as offering discounts as incentives to keep its service, said Gierczynski of Verizon.

from: Pittsburgh Live

Note: Our list of Telco 'worst' moments would be a bit longer - and includes items like the ongoing attacks on PEG, exploding telco dslam boxes, and heavy-handed and costly political lobbying. But this list is a good start and it's safe to say the telcos and cablecos need a bit more watching.

from: Huffington Post

from: NY Times

December 16, 2007
Wider Spying Fuels Aid Plan for Telecom Industry
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, JAMES RISEN and SCOTT SHANE

This article is by Eric Lichtblau, James Risen and Scott Shane.

WASHINGTON — For months, the Bush administration has waged a high-profile campaign, including personal lobbying by President Bush and closed-door briefings by top officials, to persuade Congress to pass legislation protecting companies from lawsuits for aiding the National Security Agency’s warrantless eavesdropping program.

Note: Missing from this fluff press release is the fact that Verizon is raising cable TV rates 11.5% this year, on top of a 7.5% increase last year - far greater than the increases of competing cable companies. The promise of lower rates that originally led to the Florida state video franchise, simply aren't happening.

from: CNN Money

from: Telephony Online

The rise and fall of cable
By Carol Wilson

Dec 3, 2007 5:46 PM

This year's stumble by cable stocks, which are down about 25% even after last week's FCC-inspired rally, continues to puzzle me.

The industry has done a far better job than its chief rivals, the telcos, of delivering triple-play bundles to the majority of its customers and has already made significant inroads in signing up voice customers. Yet Wall Street is apparently convinced that AT&T and Verizon pose a significant threat to cable's video franchise revenues.

Note: According to our math, Verizon jacked their cable TV rates 7.5% last year and they now project another 11.5 rate increase this year. Apparently "Competition = Higher Prices". Hopefully the FCC and those folks in Congress will take note . . .

from: CED Magazine

Verizon hikes prices for new subs to FiOS TV service

from: Gotham Gazette's TechNewsletter

Censored by Verizon

When NARAL Pro-Choice America applied to Verizon Wireless for a code so it could send text messages to Verizon subscribers who wanted to receive them, the organization never expected that the wireless provider would deny its request. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, which share almost the entire U.S. market with Verizon, had shown no hesitation signing NARAL up for the five-digit "short code."

from: Business Week

Get Your Hands Off the Web
Interference in Web content by AT&T and Verizon shows that more regulation is needed

by Stephen H. Wildstrom

A bit over a year ago, I wrote a column arguing that innovation on the Internet would be best served if the government mostly kept its hands off. I've changed my mind. The behavior of the top telecommunications companies, especially Verizon Communications (VZ) and AT&T (T), has convinced me that more government involvement is needed to keep communications free of corporate interference.

from: Ars Technica

Verizon to pay $1 million over deceptive "unlimited" EVDO plans

By Jacqui Cheng | Published: October 23, 2007 - 10:43PM CT

The case of the limited "unlimited" EVDO has been settled: Verizon has agreed to pay out $1 million to customers that it has terminated for overuse of its high-speed data service. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo made the announcement today, saying that Verizon's decision came after a nine-month investigation into the company's services and marketing practices. The attorney general accused Verizon of producing misleading materials and deceptive marketing when it claimed that its data plans were unlimited.

from: Democracy Now

Verizon Admits It Handed over Records 94,000 Times to Gov’t

October 16, 2007

Verizon Communications — the nation’s second largest telecom company — has admitted it turned over the private telephone records of its customers to the government 94,000 times since 2005. Verizon made the admission in a letter to Congressional Democrats.