Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Verizon rolls out mobile device charging stations for Sandy victims

verizon storefront

Definitely helpful for anyone impacted by Hurricane Sandy, Verizon is providing assistance to the public in the form of emergency communication centers.

With locations detailed on Verizon’s site, the wireless company has positioned large, trailer-sized charging stations at locations within Ohio, New Jersey and West Virginia as well as Staten Island. Not limiting outreach to Verizon customers, the company is welcoming anyone that was impacted negatively by Hurricane Sandy. The public can visit the mobile trailers to recharge their mobile devices like smartphones, tablets or laptops. In addition, anyone without a computer can get online at a computer workstation. Verizon is also offering Sandy victims access to mobile phones in order to make domestic calls to friends and families. 

Verizon wireless charging stationBeyond the emergency communication centers, Verizon is opening retail locations up to the public for device charging and free domestic calls. Victims of Hurricane Sandy can also find prepaid phones as well as replacement chargers at Verizon stores if needed.

In order to reestablish wireless communication in areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy, Verizon technicians have been working around the clock to improve service. Regarding the progress of technicians, Verizon representatives stated the company has “seen continued improvement overnight with now more than 96 percent of our cell sites in service and serving our customers in the impacted area, including some of the hardest hit areas of the Northeast.” 

Similar to Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile stores are opening up retail locations to offer device charging. In addition, AT&T has rolled our mobile charging stations at relief areas across the Northeast. Regarding any payment issues, T-Mobile is giving customers a grace period up until November 8 and plans to waive all late fees as well. Basically, customers that haven’t paid their T-Mobile bill will continue to receive service to their mobile phone. AT&T is also planning on waiving all late fees and will extend payment windows for Hurricane Sandy victims. AT&T representatives did not specifically mention an end date on that grace period. 


Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/verizon-rolls-out-mobile-device-charging-stations-to/

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Isis mobile payment system delayed in trial cities

Isis mobile payment system delayed in trial cities
We're a little further from Isis' "near" field communication

Isis is more like "Is-not" in trial cities Salt Lake City, Utah and Austin, Texas. The NFC mobile payment system backed by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile was supposed to roll out to these two locations by the end of the summer, but it is now delayed.

Saying that there's no one reason for the delay, Isis head of marketing Jaymee Johnson told FierceMobileContent, "I would characterize where we are as checking items off the punch list."

That checklist doesn't come with a definitive finish date, however. Johnson only said that the carrier-backed NFC venture will have more updates in October.

Making the point-of-sale for Isis

Despite the delay, Johnson still made the case for Isis as a leading point-of-sale contender. Hundreds of merchants in Salt Lake City and Austin are ready for the mobile wallet system to launch, he told FierceMobileContent.

Likewise, Isis has four leading payment networks waiting to go on the other end: JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, American Express and BarclayCard, according to its website.

Naturally, the Isis mobile wallet app will be compatible with yet-to-be-announced Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile devices. Sprint, not surprisingly, is the only major U.S. carrier missing from the "Isis Ready" carrier list, as it's not part of the joint venture.

Ensuring your mobile payments aren't available to everyone (i.e. thieves), Isis boasts a Wallet PIN for security and allows you to remotely suspend your account if your phone is stolen.

All of these features are available from Isis' NFC competition, Google Wallet, which launched one year ago this month. But the carrier-backed mobile payment system has time; Apple didn't jump on the NFC bandwagon with the iPhone 5 announcement.


Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/isis-mobile-payment-system-delayed-in-trial-cities-1097216