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"These Maps are Bogus": U.S. Lawmakers Tear Into Telecom Execs Over Spotty Rural Coverage

posted by takyon on Sunday February 17 2019, @07:20PM   
from the here-be-dragons dept.

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for chromas

'These maps are bogus': U.S. lawmakers tear into telecom execs over spotty rural coverage

Members of Congress are fed up with the state of cellphone coverage in the United States, and on Wednesday, they weren't afraid to lodge their complaints personally — with the leaders of some of the country's biggest wireless networks.

As Sprint and T-Mobile went to Capitol Hill to defend their $26 billion proposed merger, lawmakers buttonholed T-Mobile's chief executive, John Legere, and Sprint's executive chairman, Marcelo Claure, on the frustrating inability to get a cell signal in many parts of the country, particularly in rural areas.

Waving a coverage map of his state in the middle of a congressional hearing, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said that despite flashy promises to build a dazzling 5G network, wireless carriers can scarcely manage to serve Vermont with regular 4G LTE. "In a lot of Vermont, we have no-G," said Welch. "These maps are bogus."

When Claure tried to shift the blame to AT&T and Verizon, saying Sprint's network often relies on those companies' infrastructure in many areas, Welch interrupted. "These are no good! These are phony maps!" he bellowed.

Can you hear me now?

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Original Submission

• That's ok That's ok (Score: 5, Interesting) by stretch611 on Sunday February 17 2019, @08:04PM (4 children)

  by stretch611 (6199) on Sunday February 17 2019, @08:04PM (#802604)

  I'm sure that the CEOs will do everything they can to get it approved this time.

  Even if it means sleeping in sub-standard hotel accommodations:

  T-Mobile announced a merger needing Trump administration approval. The next day, 9 executives had reservations at Trump’s hotel. [washingtonpost.com]

  Of course the CEO, John Legere has thought differently of Trump Hotels in the past [cnet.com]:

  In April 2015, two months before Trump announced his candidacy for president, Legere had a Twitter spat with Trump, which started over complaints Legere had while staying at the Trump hotel in New York City. Trump ended up calling T-Mobile's service "terrible." And Legere mocked the hotel for having everything labeled "Trump," according to news coverage. Legere's tweets from that exchange have been deleted.

  --
  Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+4
  Insightful=1, Interesting=1, Informative=1, Touché=1, Total=4
  Extra 'Interesting' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		5

• Re:That's ok (Score: 2, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Monday February 18 2019, @12:09AM

  by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Monday February 18 2019, @12:09AM (#802674) Homepage Journal

  He deleted those nasty nasty Tweets. Or possibly, the Twitter Administration deleted them (I would). But he didn't delete his Account. It's not too late, John!!!

  Parent

• Re:That's ok Re:That's ok (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:21AM (2 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:21AM (#802679)

  Legere mocked the hotel for having everything labeled "Trump"

  Even the bed bugs?

  Parent

  • Re:That's ok Re:That's ok (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:26AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:26AM (#802684)

    I meant the Russian mobile listening devices.

    Parent

    • Re:That's ok (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:38AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @12:38AM (#802690)

      Even the stains on the mattresses have "Made in Trump" on them.

      Parent