DOJ to Investigate Phone Exclusivity Deals
July 7, 2009 by Rico Mossesgeld
Filed under Cellphones, Trends
Seems those those “exclusivity agreements for popular handsets” have attracted the attention of the US Department of Justice. On the agency’s unofficial (so far) agenda? Whether or not these exclusivity are anti-competitive.
Personally, I don’t really mind when a manufacturer and service provider agree to limit access to a particular phone. It’s just business after all, with the operator hoping to cash in on an eagerly-awaited gadget’s popularity, and the manufacturer enjoying a bigger share of the profits in return. It’s not anti-competitive when you’re trying to acquire any advantage to beat your competitors, more so when an exclusivity deal is …read more
Comcast Ups Rates: Bad Precedent?
October 8, 2008 by Rico Mossesgeld
Filed under Services
Yesterday, Comcast increased its rates by 4.6 percent across the board, covering at the very least it’s digital cable and internet services:
The price hikes include $5.70 per month for the Digital Classic package, and $3.70 for standard cable service.
The increases are necessary because Comcast is hurt by the economy, too, spokesman Jeff Alexander said.
He cited gas prices, health care costs, increased programming costs, and improvements in the company’s technology and service.
As reader Carl noted when passing the news along, Comcast may have set a bad precedent for other service providers to follow. Can we expect companies to start charging higher …read more
