Current Events in May 2017

A new bill awaiting the signature of Texas Governor Greg Abbot could allow ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft a chance to re-enter many cities that they previously had to vacate in the state, according to a Reuters report.

Previously, cities such as Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, and Galveston had insisted that ride-sharing drivers have fingerprint background checks before they could operate in their markets. But the new legislation, dubbed House Bill 100, would establish statewide regulations for ride-sharing services that supersede city rules.

Lara Cottingham, deputy assistant director of administration and regulatory affairs in Houston, says that the ride-sharing industry is pushing for the change in order to avoid stricter regulations. "There is definitely a national, coordinated push from the industry to enact regulations for this type of transportation at the state rather than city level," she said.

Statewide regulations

This isn’t the first time that city officials have opposed such regulations. Policymakers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago have also stated that fingerprinting for Uber and Lyft drivers is essential, but both companies argue that their own in-house background checks are sufficient.

Many Republican backers of the bill in Texas say the new regulations would offer more choice to consumers, increase competition, and drive down prices – a point that Uber and Lyft agree with.

“A statewide framework for ridesharing will help bring greater economic opportunity and expanded access to safe, reliable transportation options to more Texans,” said general manager of Uber Texas Sarfraz Maredia.

Facing opposition

But opponents say that allowing the companies to run roughshod over city regulations ignores their right to self-govern and threatens other, smaller ride-sharing companies who can’t compete with Uber and Lyft’s bankrolls.

"I’m disappointed that the legislature chose to nullify the bedrock principles of self-governance and limited government," said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. "We do expect the giants to use their $12 billion in cash to try and crush our non-profit - but we believe the support of the Austin community and the Austin drivers will help us continue,” added Andy Tryba, chief executive of the non-profit Ride Austin.

In addition to superseding fingerprinting regulations, opponents in Houston say that the bill may kill other rules which guarantee access to services for handicapped customers and allow customers to file complaints.

Experts point out that both Uber and Lyft have recently stepped up their lobbying efforts on this and other issues. Reuters reports that the companies have hired 34 lobbyists to generate support for the state bill and are expected to spend as much as $2.3 million on lobbying efforts in Texas during 2017.

Ford is making its first "over-the-air" software update, adding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to cars equipped with Sync 3, its interactive touch-screen system. Consumers can also use a USB stick or visit a dealer to make the upgrade.

Customers can update their software by visiting owner.ford.com to download and install with a USB drive, or by visiting a dealership. Customers with Wi-Fi-enabled vehicles and a Wi-Fi network can set up their vehicle to receive the update automatically.

Tesla pioneered the use of over-the-air updates and recalls, which are expected to become more common as cars increasingly become smartphones on wheels. Other automakers have been slow to adopt the technology, which is commonly used for smartphones and other computerized products.

Security concerns and dealer resistance have contributed to the foot-dragging. Dealers, in particular, have expressed concerns that over-the-air updates will cut into their service revenue.

Android & Apple

Compatible with Android devices 5.0 and higher, Android Auto brings Google Maps, Google Play Music, phone, messaging and third party apps into the car, projected on the car's built-in display and available via voice controls.

Compatible with iPhone 5 and later models running iOS 7.1 or higher, Apple CarPlay gives iPhone users a way to make phone calls, use voice-guided navigation, listen to music, and send and receive messages. Users can control Apple CarPlay through the in-vehicle display or via Siri voice control. Apple CarPlay support requires a USB hub upgrade available through Ford dealers.

SYNC 3 currently supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on all model-year 2017 Ford cars including the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Mustang, SUVs including the Escape, Explorer and Expedition, F-Series trucks and Ford’s electrified vehicles.

“Our SYNC 3 software platform was designed to be easy to update so we can get our customers the latest and greatest features, functionally and security enhancements,” said Don Butler, executive director, Ford Connected Vehicle and Services. “With over-the-air updates, we can deliver new features to customers in the background while they continue using their vehicles.”

May is winding down, and high school and college students across the country are ordering their graduation caps and gowns. While many may be nervous to receive their diploma and start the next phase of their life, a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) shows that they can at least look forward to a nice card or gift for the occasion.

In an annual survey conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics, NRF reports that more consumers will be giving gifts to graduates this year – 36% compared to 34% last year. Total spending is expected to exceed $5.6 billion, topping last year’s figure of $5.4 billion and the largest number in the survey’s 11-year history.

“As students mark the end of one chapter in their lives and start the next, friends and family will help prepare them for this new journey. From gift cards to clothing and electronics, retailers will have their shelves stocked with a variety of options,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Giving among peers

Analysts say that the most popular gift this year will be cash, an answer given by 53% of respondents; however, that option is becoming less popular over time, dropping 10% since 2009. Forty-one percent of consumers say they’ll opt to give a greeting card, while 33% will give a gift card, 16% will give apparel, and 11% will give an electronic device.

The survey shows that many young Millennials plan on giving gifts to their peers for graduation, up 6% year-over-year to 48%. “While greeting cards are most likely to be exchanged among 18-24-year-old, gift cards, cash, and apparel are other popular options. In fact, this group is nearly twice as likely to give clothing than the overall average,” noted Prosper Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow.

Due to their smaller budgets, these young consumers will spend an average of $78.42 on their graduation gifts. Older consumers report that they’ll be spending slightly more: those between the ages of 45 and 54 say they’ll spend an average of $119.84, while those 65 and over will spend $112.34.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 5,818 model year 2015 SLK 250, 2016 SLK 350, 2016-2017 SLC 300, and 2017 SLC 43 AMG vehicles.

The vehicle's electronic stability control (ESC) system software may incorrectly keep the brakes slightly applied.

If brake pads are constantly applied over long periods of driving, the brake components may heat up, affecting braking performance and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the dragging brakes may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the ESC system, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in late June 2017.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Depending on where you live, you can expect to be prescribed varying amounts of opioids for even minor injuries. Experts are now saying that fact is contributing to the rising number of opioid-related deaths in the U.S.

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that patients who received their first opioid prescription for a sprained ankle received anywhere from 15 to 40 pills. This is dangerous, they say, because findings also suggest that receiving over 30 pills led to higher rates of additional opioid prescriptions being filled out within three to six months.

"The substantial variation in prescribing patterns of such extremely addictive medications for minor injuries results in many thousands of pills entering the community, and places patients at an increased risk of continued use and potentially addiction. It's vital that we identify and understand the root causes of this growing issue," said lead author Dr. M. Kit Delgado.

Varying standards

For the purposes of the study, the researchers analyzed private insurance claims for more than 53,000 emergency department patients across the country who were admitted for an ankle sprain between 2011 and 2012. None of the patients in the study had filled an opioid prescription out within the past six months of their visit, and approximately 7% of them were prescribed an opioid pain medication like hydrocodone or oxycodone.

The data showed that the prescription practices for these injuries varied wildly from state to state. For example, only 1.6% of patients in Delaware received a opioid prescription for their injury, while 16% of patients received one in Mississippi. Further, the researchers say that the wide discrepancy in the number of pills prescribed can often flood communities with pills.

"Looking only at the cases analyzed in this study, if all prescriptions written for more than 20 pills were instead written for only 20, there would have been 37,721 fewer opioid pills entering the community. If extrapolated more broadly to the treatment of other minor injuries, this likely translates to millions of highly addictive and unnecessary prescribed pain medications filtering into the community,” said Delgado.

"Unnecessary and risky"

The researchers point out that certain minor injuries may not warrant an opioid prescription at all, and that certain young patients, who may be more susceptible to their addictive properties, may suffer in the long run from having one.

“Exposing young patients with an ankle sprain to opioids is unnecessary and risky. To limit the escalation of the opioid epidemic in this country, it's critical to keep these medications limited to patients whose injuries absolutely require them, and limit exposure to opioids for all other patients," said senior author Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone.

“The study illustrates the potential benefit of laws to limiting new opioid prescriptions for acute pain to no more than five-day supply as was recently passed in New Jersey," added Delgado.

Student loan debt has risen dramatically in recent years, with reports indicating that it has climbed to 10.6% of all U.S. household debt. To help ease the burden on consumers, the federal government has paid debt collectors up to $1 billion annually to help defaulted borrowers climb out of debt and begin making monthly payments, a process referred to as rehabilitation.

However, a recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shows that these federal incentives may be doing little more than costing American taxpayers. A Bloomberg report details how debt collectors often rake in money for helping consumers who quickly fall back into default on their debts.

“Collectors earn this compensation irrespective of borrower performance over the months or years following a completed rehabilitation, ensuring that collectors have no ‘skin in the game’ when a borrower defaults again. Policymakers may wish to reevaluate the economic inventive in place for debt collectors and student loan servicers to encourage long-term borrower success,” an October, 2016 report states.

Abysmal return on investment

Since the start of the 2013 fiscal year, CFPB says that the federal government has paid $4.2 billion to debt collectors for rehabilitation services, with a maximum amount of $1,710 being paid for each “successful” rehabilitation.

But when the agency tracked how much consumers paid back after these efforts, they found that the numbers were abysmally low. Statistics show that for each federal payment made to debt collectors, the amount collected afterward from the borrower was as little as $45 in 80% of cases.

Part of the problem, experts say, is that the contracts offered to debt collectors are simply too lucrative for the amount of return that the federal government gets back. CFPB points out that government’s rehabilitation program, which targets people who have defaulted on their debt, allows borrowers to pay back as little as $5 per month during a nine-month period in order to be considered in “good standing” on their debt. However, the agency found that 40% of these borrowers went into default again within three years.

“When student loan companies know that nearly half of their highest-risk customers will quickly fail, it's time to fix the broken system that makes this possible,” said Seth Frotman, a top CFPB student loan official.

"Do a better job"

To further exacerbate the problem, experts say that borrowers often don’t receive good counsel when it comes to exercising their options after coming out of default. CFPB points out that the majority of borrowers who make $5 monthly payments are eligible for $0 payments after exiting default, but around 90% of them don’t take advantage of the program and remain within the purview of debt collectors.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said earlier this year that it was up to the Education Department to “do a better job” than the previous administration when it came to reining in debt collectors. But thus far, student loan borrowers have only seen reductions in protections and are facing the loss of certain forgiveness programs that they were relying on. CFPB is urging the government to reconsider its loan program and debt collector contracts to ensure that they are working for the benefit of Americans.

“I don’t see how anyone wins from this system other than the collection industry,” commented Adam S. Minsky, a student debtor representative based in Boston.

The full report update from the CFPB can be viewed here.

For year, holistic medicine had sort of a hippie, New Age connotation, operating on the fringes of traditional medicine.

But increasingly, traditional medicine is giving the holistic approach, which considers the whole person, a new look. With the growing opioid addiction epidemic, it's earning new respect as an effective way to manage pain.

For the American Pain Society (APS), the holistic approach is nothing new. The organization has for decades advocated treating the whole person.

Over-reliance on painkillers

Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University, says doctors need to stop prescribing so many painkillers and look for ways to adopt patient-centered, holistic approaches to treating chronic pain, when they are appropriate.

“There are lots of choices for managing pain but many worthwhile options are neglected,” said Katz. “Pain is almost always part of a bigger health picture, and just focusing on pain can lead to medication abuse."

A more productive approach, Katz says, is helping patients suffering from pain get healthier. That's because the healthier you are, the less likely you're going to suffer pain.

Integrated treatment approach

Speaking at a meeting of the APS, Katz suggested clinicians use an integrated treatment approach. Treatment, he said, should address medical, social, psychological and lifestyle aspects of a patient's life. In many cases, Katz says doctors will uncover a complex array of problems. If they are successfully addressed, the patient is likely to get better. If not, the condition may worsen.

Treatment will vary by patient. Doctors have to be able to determine which lifestyle factors need to be addressed first. In many cases, Katz says helping a patient sleep better is the appropriate first step.

“Pain causes sleep difficulties," he said. "People who don’t get enough sleep have less energy, are less active physically, and usually gain weight, which can exacerbate pain. Also, poor sleep can cause or compound depression and social isolation, which can lower pain thresholds.”

Katz said he has found doctors are much more open to holistic approaches now, and are beginning to rely less on drugs when it comes to managing pain.

Integrative medicine takes a similar approach, and is also gaining ground within the medical establishment. The Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine points out that "health" is just as important as "medicine."

It stresses the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, and is driven by evidence. Integrative medicine practitioners use all appropriate therapeutic approaches to achieve optimal health and healing.

Marijuana is now legal to at least some extent in 44 states but that's not much consolation to the farmers and merchants who grow and sell the stuff. They're hamstrung by federal regulations that block banks from serving businesses that are engaged in illegal activity -- and since the feds still regard marijuana as illegal, that includes all the pot growers and sellers.

A bipartisan group of senators are trying to change that, introducing legislation that would block federal banking regulators from putting pressure on banks to deny service to marijuana-based businesses. The senators, who include Republican Rand Paul and Democrat Cory Booker, have made similar efforts in previous sessions.

A similar bill is pending in the House. The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Garrett (R-Va.), would lift the nation’s pot restrictions and allow states to decide how to regulate medical and recreational marijuana.

Stuck in the middle

The Obama Justice Department was somewhat lenient in its enforcement of the existing rules but the Trump Administration is downright hostile. Attorney General Jefferson Bureaugard Sessions last week ordered prosecutors to crack down on all drug-related crimes.

The turmoil leaves marijuana businesses stuck in the middle. Unable to accept credit cards or open bank accounts, they are forced to deal solely in cash. Some disguise the nature of their business, opening them to prosecution for fraud.

The insurance industry has also backed away from marijuana. In 2015, Lloyd’s of London stopped insuring marijuana industry firms of any kind due to conflicts between federal and state laws over their legality, Insurance Journal reports.

Animals can succumb to intense summer heat just like humans, but owners often miss the warning signs because they don't know what to look for. Pet insurers say treating a dog for heatstroke is among the most expensive pet injuries. Nationwide said its average claim for canine heatstroke last year was over $700.

Healthy Paws, another pet insurer, said its biggest heat-related claim last summer was $3,800 for a Labradoodle that required several days in a pet hospital. To avoid this injury, the company offers up five rules.

Protecting your dog from the heat

The first is a no-brainer; never leave your dog in the car unattended. K9 Rescue says that even on a pleasant 75 degree day, it will take only 10 minutes to reach 100 degrees inside the car.

Outdoor dogs are most at risk, since they spend most of their time outside when it's hot. They need a place that shelters them from direct sunlight and a place to cool off. A small child's wading pool, filled with water, can give a dog a nice break from the heat. Also make sure they always have plenty of fresh water to drink.

Some breeds, such as pugs and French bulldogs, may be more susceptible to the heat. Healthy Paws says one French bulldog it covered had a heatstroke last summer that cost $2,100 to treat.

Keep your dog off hot cement. If the pavement feels too hot when you touch it with your hands, it's going to be too hot for your dog's paws.

Finally, Healthy Paws urges dog owners to be aware of the symptoms of a heatstroke. They include heavier than normal panting, vomiting, and even seizures. There's also a good chance a dog having a heatstroke will simply collapse.

When any of these symptoms appear, get your pet to a vet as soon as possible.

Four automakers have agreed to pay $553 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of owners of 16 million vehicles that were recalled because they contained potentially defective Takata airbag inflators.

The inflators can explode with excessive force and spew small shards of metal into the passenger compartment, injuring or killing occupants. At least 16 deaths and more than 180 injuries have been blamed on the inflators worldwide.

Toyota is paying the biggest share of the settlement, $278 million, followed by BMW, Mazda, and Subaru. The companies said they settled because of the scope and severity of the recall, but they did not admit fault. Takata itself was not a party in the case, and other automakers still face similar suits. 

The settlement includes an outreach program to contact owners; compensation for consumers' economic losses including out-of-pocket expenses; rental cars for some owners; and a customer support program for repairs and adjustments, including an extended warranty.

Largest recall ever

It's just one chapter in the massive recall -- the largest ever -- that began around 2008 and which covers about 100 million inflators around the world used in vehicles made by 19 automakers.

Automakers have so far recalled -- but not necessarily replaced -- 46 million Takata inflators in 29 million cars in the United States. By 2019, the total is expected to approach 70 million inflators in 42 million cars. 

In January, Takata agreed to plead guilty to U.S. charges of criminal wrongdoing and to pay $1 billion to resolve a federal investigation into its inflators. The majority of the air bag-related fatalities and injuries have occurred in the United States.

Swiming pools may look cool and inviting, but all manner of nasty things could be lurking there, not visible to the naked eye. That's why swimming pools are treated with chemicals, like chlorine. They do a pretty good job of killing bacteria. But not all bacteria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning to consumers using public swimming pools this summer that there is a heightened risk of a parasitic infection called Crypto.

You may not have heard of Crypto, because until very recently it wasn't much of a threat. Now, however, it is.

32 outbreaks last year

The CDC says it counted 32 outbreaks of Crypto linked to public swimming pools in 2016, twice the number of reports it received in 2014.

Where does crypto come from? There's no delicate way to put this -- when an infected person poops in the pool, they spread the bacteria. The pooping is usually involuntary, since one of the symptoms of Crypto is diarrhea.

The CDC says swallowing just a mouthful of contaminated water is enough to infect a healthy person. It's becoming a bigger problem because the bacteria isn't easily killed by chlorine. It can survive for 10 days, even in water that has otherwise been properly treated.

Lengthy illness

If you are infected by Crypto, it's not something you get over in a day. You can be sick for up to three weeks, suffering from diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, or vomiting.

There's not a lot you can do to avoid it, except avoid public swimming pools this summer. If you do swim, keep your mouth closed.

"To help protect your family and friends from Crypto and other diarrhea-causing germs, do not swim or let your kids swim if sick with diarrhea," said Michele Hlavsa chief of CDC's healthy swimming program. "Protect yourself from getting sick by not swallowing the water in which you swim."

The CDC says one way to control the Crypto threat may be increasing the amount of chlorine used to treat swimming pool water, a process known as hyperchlorination. It says pools should follow a hyperchlorination protocol any time a diarrhea incident is discovered or a Crypto outbreak is reported.

LG Electronics has introduced a portfolio of smart appliances that can be controlled through Google Home, the voice-activated assistant that competes with Amazon's Echo.

The connected appliances include the LG SIGNATURE brand washing machine and dryer, oven range, refrigerator, air purifier, along with an LG air conditioner and robotic vacuum.

Google Home will become a primary interface for connecting and controlling the devices. LG gives as an example consumers checking the remaining time during wash cycles, instructing the refrigerator to make more ice or to raise or lower the temperature on the air conditioner. LG says you'll be able to do it with simple voice commands from anywhere in the house, as long as Google Home can hear you.

LG announced the linkage with Google at Google's I/O event. At a demonstration, company executives connected the LG air purifier and adjusted its settings with voice commands. They also showed that Google Assistant on Google Home could give timely air quality readings and feedback on operational status.

"Our partnership with Google demonstrates just how easy it is to smart-enable one's home with friendly, approachable products," Song Dae-hyun, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solutions Company.

Smart appliance security

Dae-hyun said it isn't rocket science to connect all the smart appliances in your home. However, consumers installing appliances connecting to the internet need to give some thought to security.

Last October the internet was briefly shaken to its core by a denial-of-service attack in which hackers harnessed millions of internet-connected devices to try to access sites like Amazon at the same time. Most of the attacking devices were not PCs, but were internet-connected smart devices like appliances, whose security was easily hacked.

Technology publisher CNET declared that these hacks are "alarmingly easy," suggesting it raises serious questions about the security of the smart home.

CNET said consumers can increase the security of their smart appliances by using strong passwords for both the connected devices and the home's wi-fi network. The tech website said consumers can also protect themselves by purchasing smart appliances that allow you to set and change the password, and avoid those that come with a default password that can't be changed.

Learn more about appliances in the ConsumerAffairs Appliance Buyers Guide.

The GOP plan to trash net neutrality took a big step forward today as the Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 along party lines to move ahead with chairman Ajit Pai's "Restoring Internet Freedom" proposal.

The lone Democrat on the commission, Mignon Clyburn, was heated in her opposition to the plan, as were protestors who braved 90-degree temperatures to demonstrate in front of the FCC's offices.

“While the majority engages in flowery rhetoric about light-touch regulation and so on, the endgame appears to be no-touch regulation and a wholescale destruction of the FCC’s public interest authority in the 21st century,” Clyburn said.

Today's vote is not final. There must now be a period of public input, but the outcome is pretty clear: Pai and GOP lawmakers are determined to get rid of the Obama Era regulations that treat broadband providers as utilities who must treat all traffic equally.

Competitors sidelined

Net neutrality advocates say that without the rule, big companies like AT&T and Verizon will be able to put their content on a fast track while sidelining the competition. Broadband providers say they have never done that and never will.

“Pai pretends to care about the open internet, but his unworkable proposal takes away the rights of internet users," said Craig Aaron, president of Free Press, an advocacy group that has bitterly opposed the rollback. 

“The chairman’s willingness to trot out alternative facts about broadband-industry investment and recycle long-debunked talking points should worry anyone who cares about the free and open internet," he said. "Pai’s intent is clear: to destroy the internet as we know it and give even more gatekeeper power to a few huge companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon."

Net neutrality supporters have vowed to use the public comment period to stir up more public opposition to Pai's plan. HBO comedian John Oliver has been doing just that the last few weeks. He has set up a website that makes it easy for consumers to submit their comments to the FCC.

The site is GoFCCYourself.com. 

Like a day in traffic court, one case is disposed of while others wait their turn. In this case, it's Volkswagen that has been fined and sent on its way while courtroom hangers-on wait to see what happens to the next potential defendant, Fiat Chrysler.

Federal Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco yesterday signed off on the settlement with Volkswagen that will start the formal claims process for owners of Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche 3.0-liter TDI diesel cars, the last chapter in the VW dirty diesel thriller.

Up next on the docket may be a suit against FCA NV -- a/k/a Chrysler -- said to be in settlement talks with prosecutors over alleged violations of U.S. clean-air rules by its diesel-powered cars and trucks.

The government is said to be ready to file suit against Fiat Chrysler as early as this week if the settlement talks fail. The allegation is that FCA used illegal software to disable pollution controls when the vehicles are undergoing emission tests. That's what Volkswagen did, but FCA is adamant that its software did not do anything illegal.

However, sources close to the case say FCA hasn't been able to explain just exactly what the software does, according to an Automotive News report.

VW case wrapped up

Breyer's action yesterday wraps up the last piece of federal litigation against Volkswagen. Earlier decisions settled allegations involving 2.0-liter TDI engines and yesterday's closed the book on 3.0-liter models.

“Under the Commission’s 2.0 liter and 3.0 liter settlements, Volkswagen will offer consumers over $11 billion in compensation,” Maureen K. Ohlhausen, FTC’s Acting Chairman, said. “We are confident that these orders will fully reimburse injured consumers, while sending a strong message to others that deceptive conduct does not pay.”

As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) first announced in February, consumers who bought 3.0 liter vehicles will receive up to $1.2 billion in compensation for Volkswagen’s allegedly misleading “clean diesel” claims, added to the more than $10 billion redress fund already created for 2.0 liter consumers.

In all, consumers who bought affected “clean diesel” vehicles will receive up to $11.5 billion, and the court may hold Volkswagen in contempt if it makes deceptive environmental claims in the future.

Consumers can determine if they are eligible for compensation, and if so for how much, at VWCourtSettlement.com and AudiCourtSettlement.com. They can also use these websites to submit claims, make appointments, and receive updates.

Comcast has been edging into the wireless communications business for quite awhile and now its Xfinity Mobile network is doing a quiet roll-out. The service resells Verizon's 4G LTE network and what Comcast says are 16 million wi-fi hotspots to reach just about every corner of the country.

The wi-fi hotspots are in commercial locations and also in customers' homes. Comcast routers have a separate channel that provides coverage to nearby Xfinity customers. The goal is to use wi-fi as much as possible to avoid burning up the more expensive Verizon bits.

Xfinity customers can sign up for the service at the new Xfinity Mobile website. It's available in all markets where Comcast already provides cable service. Sign-ups are restricted to Comcast’s 25 million subscribers.

Unlimited data, talk, text

Xfinity Mobile features an unlimited data, talk, and text plan starting at $65 a month for up to five lines ($45 per line for customers with Comcast’s top X1 TV packages), or $12 per GB a month a la carte. The unlimited option has been reduced to $45 a month through July 31 for the network’s first customers.

If it works as planned, Xfinity Mobile will put Comcast into direct competition with incumbents like AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as with wi-fi-based networks like Google Fi.

Which cell phone service is right for you? Check the ConsumerAffairs Cell Phone Buyers Guide.