Despite the high operating costs associated with high tech cell phones…which often contain web and text messaging capabilities, people apparently have placed a greater priority on communication than they have on keeping a roof over their heads.
With house foreclosures soaring, the smart homeowner might want to consider redirecting the $150-$300 per month they spend on cell phone bills towards keeping a roof over their heads.
Consider this:
In a typical family of 4 consisting of a Mom, Dad, and two teenagers aged 13 & 15…the monthly cell phone bill could easily be in the $240-$300 range. ( Mom: $60, Dad: $80, Thirteen Year Old: $50, Fifteen Year Old: $50…Plus another $50 in taxes)
That extra $290 could go a long way towards avoiding losing your house to the bank. But not so fast…
According to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon’s wireless and wireline business haven’t seen any significant impact from the weakening economy.
The sales volume hasn’t shifted, and there hasn’t been a change in momentum, Seidenberg said today on the sidelines of Verizon Wireless’ Open Development Conference. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary,” said Seidenberg. In other words PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING TO PAY THEIR CELL PHONE BILLS INSTEAD OF THEIR MORTGAGES.
According to the Wall Street Journal, In an effort to show investors that he is serious about cutting costs Sprint Nextel’s CEO is preparing to cut thousands of jobs.
Exactly how many people could lose their jobs is not yet known. Last year the company cut about 5,000 jobs. At the end of the last quarter Sprint reported it had roughly 60,000 employees. Read.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sprint’s board of directors has had enough with the company’s poor performance. And the blame is being put squarely on the shoulders of CEO Gary Forsee.
Forsee oversaw the $35 billion acquisition of Nextel two years ago. However, there has been nothing but fizzle ever since. The company has been plagued by reports of terrible customer service, high customer turnover, and a lack of new and exciting products. Sprint has sort of gotten lost among phone carriers.
The company doesn’t have a “Sexy” product like Apple & AT&T’s iPhone and there has been absolutely no buzz about Sprint as of late.
According to the Journal, ”informed people” have said the board of directors launched the search for a new CEO in August in lieu of Sprint’s mediocre effort to compete.
The company has reportedly approached a number of big-time candidates, but has not found the right man or woman for the job. One person reportedly declined the offer. Read.
Cablevision and Verizon are at war in an effort to sign up customers for what the industry calls the triple play…It’s fiber-to-the-premises vs. cable for broadband, television, and phone.
Cablevision has been talking smack…saying things like “We’re not afraid of your fiber!” in response to Verizon’s product offering.
So the last thing you’d expect is for Cablevision’s leadership to cross over to the dark side and become a user of the very service they’re competing against.
Well a fellow blogger has been on the trail of Cablevision CEO Chuck Dolan and says he’s uncovered some dirt.
In a recent blog post, Tech blogger Mike Murray discloses evidence that Cablevision’s CEO may be enjoying FiOS at home.
Murray wrote: ”Click the picture to the right showing a Verizon FiOS can and drop directly above Cablevision’s CEO Chuck Dolan’s Oyster Bay, Long Island mailbox.
He’s not scared! He’s a customer!”
In response to the boiling anger resonating across the country over the drop in the iPhone prices, an Apple spokesperson says that the company is offering $200 refunds for opened iPhone devices and full refunds for unopened devices to anyone who purchased the iPhone at the original $600 price tag…as long as they purchased the phone within the past 14 days.
For those of us who purchased the iPhone between June 29th and August 21st…well we’re screwed. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is quickly earning the nickname “Screw Em” Jobs. Because that seems to be what he does time and time again…only this time his loyal customers are the ones taking it up the rear.
From screwing over his company’s business partners(i.e. no AT&T name on the iPhone) to overcharging his best Customers (the Apple faithful who stood in line for 48 hours or more to purchase the iPhone at the original $600)…you can count on one thing…that the only person who’s going to come out ahead will be Steve Jobs.
Update:
In another open letter to his people, Jobs states that he’s giving all iPhone owners a $100 Apple gift certificate (details to follow in the next week — it goes without saying this will only apply to people who bought before the price drop) Read.
New Qwest CEO Edward Mueller’s family will get to use the company’s corporate jet.
A recent filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission amends Mueller’s employment contract to allow for his wife and child to fly between Denver, Qwest’s Headquarters and their home in California. The move allows the Meuller’s stepdaughter to use the company jet to travel between Colorado and California while she is finishing high school.
