Maneesh Pangasa (mpangasa)

Maneesh Pangasa

As if last year's proposed AT&T T-Mobile merger that was rightly denied now Verizon Wireless wants to enter into anti-competitive marketing deals with big cable companies (and buy their spectrum) that would make the duopoly broadband market already anti-competitive into a far worse cable monopoly. Tell the DOJ & FCC to block Verizon's cable shenanigans. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/484910-Copps_Hammers_Verizon_SpectrumCo.php

Maneesh Pangasa

The corporate record labels already have an anti-competitive cartel with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as do the movie studios with the MPAA. Now global music entertainment companies UMG and EMI want to merge giving them the ability to exclude online music startups from accessing their combined recordings and to raise prices. Tell regulators in your country to deny these deals. http://www.consumerfed.org/news/513

Maneesh Pangasa

Verizon has struck a sweetheart deal with a cartel of cable companies — including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications — in which they've agreed to stop competing against one another. The new plan? To gouge consumers and divvy up the spoils of the broadband market. Whether you use a mobile phone or a desktop computer to access the Internet, this deal is bad news. We need online communications to be affordable and open to all. The Department of Justice and the FCC are already examining these deals. Now Congress's Senate Antitrust Subcommittee is holding hearings. Tell Congress to stand up for broadband competition and reject these deals outright. http://act2.freepress.net/sign/verizon_spectrum_co_petition/?source=featurebox_sti

Maneesh Pangasa

Last year the movie industry made $30 billion (1/3 in the U.S.) from box office revenue. However, the movie industry in total revenues made $87 billion. Where did the other $57 billion come from? From sources the studios previously claimed would put them out of business: Pay-Per View TV, cable and satellite channels, video rentals, DVD sales, online subscriptions and digital downloads. The movie industry was born with a single technical standard that allowed the studios to control the platform and distribution. However, tech innovations they have always resisted have ultimately forced them to cede said power. They fear the Internet just as they did earlier innovations for this reason. The MPAA and RIAA cannot innovate so rather than compete want government protections in the form of Internet Blacklist bills censoring the Web. We must fight back to stop Internet censorship. http://steveblank.com/2012/01/04/why-the-movie-industry-cant-innovate-and-the-result-is-sopa/

Maneesh Pangasa

In 2012 attack ads will inundate local television. Ever since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of corporate personhood in Citizens United suggesting that money is speech unlimited funds for political campaign ads have become all too real. Unfortunately while broadcasters ad revenue increases from allowing such ads on the air they are cutting funding for news and reporting. We need to have easy access to information on who's funding these ads. Demand te FCC take action to require that broadcasters put this information online for all to see. http://act2.freepress.net/letter/political_ads/

Maneesh Pangasa

Broadcasters rake in billions of dollars in profits using public property and what do we get in return? Nothing. It is time for that to change. Our airwaves belong to the people not the corporate media. The Federal Communications Commission is about to review its media ownership rules which include rules that promote localism, competition and diversity of the airwaves. The public must have a seat at the table when these policies are made. The Federal Communications Commission must stand up for the public interest against future industry handouts and put the public back in broadcast policy. http://act2.freepress.net/letter/ownership_review

Maneesh Pangasa

Breaking: Verizon Wireless has confirmed that it will drop plans for its $2 online banking fee due to consumer outrage. The company said in the statement linked here: "The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan." http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2011/12/pr2011-12-30.html

Maneesh Pangasa

After a massive consumer backlash against Verizon's proposed $2 convenience fee for consumers paying bills online the F.C.C. has weighed in apparently. Today the Federal Communications Commission which regulates telecommunications services announced that it would look into the proposed fee to go into effect January 15th. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/fcc-verizon-convenience-fee/

Maneesh Pangasa

Remember when we got together to beat Bank of America and the entire banking industry backed away from charging us just for using our debit cards. Well now Verizon which along with AT&T, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other multinationals paid no taxes between 2008-2010 has decided to impose a fee for users paying bills online. Let's tell Verizon to stop nickel and dim-ing customers. http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-verizon-drop-the-fee-for-paying-bills-online?utm_medium=email&alert_id=kOchrvVkoq_iZIsUDqzxO&utm_source=action_alert

Maneesh Pangasa

Great news AT&T faced with intense government opposition from regulators at the Justice Department and FCC has decided to abandon its takeover of T-Mobil USA. Shortly after the FCC Chairman came out against the merger AT&T withdrew their merger application hoping it would prevent the FCC from releasing a damning staff report blasting the merger but lost that bet. Then the Justice Department requested a delay in the antitrust trial stating if there's no merger application at the FCC there's no point to move forward with the lawsuit. AT&T had been hoping to win at trial with DOJ and use that as leverage to influence the FCC. However, this made the judge upset feeling AT&T was wasting both the DOJ and the court's time. Then just before Christmas AT&T abandoned its merger and paid the breakup fee. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57345260-266/at-t-abandons-bid-for-t-mobile/

Maneesh Pangasa

Curiously, some who claimed the FCC's Net Neutrality order to protect the open internet from corporate gatekeepers amounted to a "government takeover of the Internet" are remaining silent on legislation which would really amount to a government takeover of the Internet. Cable and telecom industry front group Americans for Prosperity has been silent on this issue. The next time AT&T and Time Warner Cable-sponsored groups start fear-mongering around policies that threaten to bring competition against their corporate sponsors, we must ask them where they were when the future of the Internet was truly threatened. http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/11/12/09/real-government-takeover-internet

Maneesh Pangasa

By the end of this week the U.S. Senate may vote on a bill that would end the Internet as we know it. If it passes the Protect IP Act would give corporate copyright holders the authority to demand that the government shut down any website without a court order. Call your Senators and tell them to oppose the Protect IP Act then report your call to CREDO Action. http://act.credoaction.com/call/report/?cp_id=175&id=31373-4366583-mjux9kx&tg=FSAZ_1.FSAZ_2&t=7 http://mozilla.status.net/attachment/67693

Maneesh Pangasa

Awesome news now the Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has publicly spoken out against the AT&T T Mobil merger. Chairman Julius Genachowski who in late August expressed serious concerns about the merger when news broke that the Justice Department would oppose the deal now wants his agency to hold administrative hearings to also deny this awful merger. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57329828-266/fcc-chairman-comes-out-against-at-ts-t-mobile-buy/

Maneesh Pangasa

Here is an interesting article about Apple's iPad business. Rumor has it that the iPad 3 the latest version of Apple's tablet computers may arrive as early as next March but will come with a smaller dock connector that could cause compatibility problems with existing devices. However some are speculating that if an A6 chip is included the new iPad might not be launched till June. http://ur1.ca/5i7gv http://ur1.ca/5i7gw

Maneesh Pangasa

Here is an interesting article about AT&T which explains that subscribers are increasingly using the carrier's public Wi-Fi networks more than their 3G or 4G networks for wireless internet access. In fact the article reports AT&T is increasingly relying more on its Wi-Fi networks to help off-load its data traffic which should ultimately lead to better network performance for its wireless users. However, if I were AT&T I might worry that increased use of the carrier's free and public Wi-Fi networks might depress wireless revenue for 3G or 4G mobile broadband. http://ur1.ca/5i7go http://ur1.ca/5i7gp

Maneesh Pangasa

Interestingly Apple has quietly updated its MacBook Pro lineup today bringing faster processors, improved graphics and larger hard drives to its professional line of notebook computers. Pricing is the same as earlier despite the unannounced upgrades which have been expected since mid September. It looks like the new and faster models of Apple's MacBook Pro will be available in time for the 2011 Christmas shopping season. http://ur1.ca/5i7gf http://ur1.ca/5i7gg

Maneesh Pangasa

The fact that AT&T and other big corporations providing high speed internet services have been lobbying state legislatures to dismantle community and municipal broadband networks is outrageous. In Wisconsin the AT&T funded and deceptively named front group Access Now is seeking the abolishment of WiscNet. As the author of this article though notes abolishing WiscNet would hurt public libraries and schools in the state. AT&T is not the only company trying this. Time Warner Cable has been pushing state legislators in North Carolina to also limit municipal broadband. It is time public interest advocates fight back for municipal broadband's future. http://ur1.ca/5i7fh http://ur1.ca/5i7fi

Maneesh Pangasa

Here is an article in defense of community and municipal broadband networks like WiscNet worth a read. We cannot allow corporations like AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications etc to get away with destroying community and municipal broadband networks. Find out if one of these companies is lobbying your state legislatures and your governor on this issue and fight back. Write and call your legislators and if possible the office of your governor in opposition of such measures to destroy municipal broadband. http://ur1.ca/5i7f7 http://ur1.ca/5i7f8

Maneesh Pangasa Marco Casteleijn

Thanks for the info. I am interested in helping out with the new project anyway I can. Graphic design does interest me (I don't have much experience doing graphic design but its something I've always wanted to learn and to be able to do) anyways thanks for the info.