Political Forces
Verizon must deal with politics at every level from local all the way up to federal authorities. Their business depends on cell towers to carry wireless signals. However, no one wants a cell tower in their backyard. So Verizon must navigate the permitting and zoning process at the local level to construct and maintain their cell towers. Verizon has obviously been very successful at this level of political forces because they have the largest network in the United States.
Beyond the local level of politics, Verizon must deal with state regulators in regards to billing plans and device costs. Additionally, distracted driving has become a hot button issue that many states now regulate. Several states have passed recent legislation dealing with cell phone usage while driving. Many states prohibit the use of cellular devices while driving a vehicle this includes text and voice messaging. Most states allow police officers to cite drivers for improper phone usage while driving without any other infractions being necessary to pull someone over. The lone exception to this rule is that every state allows hands free cellular use while driving. More recently, police officers have been required to indicate if distracted driving from cellular devices was involved with accidents. These reports are used to determine which states qualify for certain federal funds under different legislative programs. Verizon must deal with a slew of federal agencies that regulate cell phone companies. The most prominent of which include the Federal Communications Commission or FCC and the Food and Drug Administration also called the FDA. The FCC is in charge of licenses for cellular service providers. The FCC sets service market areas, interprets laws governing cellular service and regulates radio frequency standards and energy. The FDA governs issues related to the health safety and welfare of cell phone use. The FDA ensures cellular devices are safe for the public and warns the public of the dangers of using cellular devices. Recent Federal Government secret spying programs have involved Verizon and a number of other cellular service providers. These programs caused a public uproar over privacy concerns. The FBI and NSA can tap into private conversations or access phone records without a subpoena to defend our country against potential terrorist threats. Further privacy concerns involve the GPS systems inside of cellular devices which allow these Federal agencies as well as local police departments to track the movements of cell phone users. Economic The communications industry is growing exponentially. Due to this industry growth, there is a tremendous amount of competition between service providers. Providers attempt to differentiate themselves based on …show more content…
Everyone has a camera today just about everywhere. Today, many news stories and personal affairs that may have not been noticed in years gone by have been exposed by the proliferation of cameras. This has included everything from cheating spouses to police brutality and crooked politicians all being exposed due to the proliferation of cameras on cellular devices.
For better or worse mobile communications have even contributed to organizing society. Cellular communications have organized many flash mobs and political movements. Cellular communications have made it easier for people to organize and communicate than ever before.
Cellular devices have become so woven into the fabric of our society that they are considered a necessity today. There is a drawback to this immersion of cell phones into society. People now prefer to communicate over a cellular connection rather than talk face to face. This is leading to less human interaction and more impersonal communications. Also, so many features including games, cameras, etc. being packed into a handheld device is causing us to multitask more often and become distracted from our surroundings or the task at hand. …show more content…
For instance, two way radios are growing in popularity. Two way radios allow people to communicate with one another without the need for a cellular service provider. These devices are used primarily for short range communication. Additional technology alternatives to a cell phone include voice messaging services such as Skype. Skype has a key advantage over communicating by cell phone in that you can see a visual image of the person you’re speaking with in addition to hearing them. Although this technology is growing in popularity cellular services still offer features and reliability not matched by alternative