Re:Why AT&T Killed Google Voice
by brk on Wednesday August 19, 2009 @08:59AM
(#772616)
Sounds like the author has little understanding of the technologies at play. Some of his suggestions at the end:
• End phone exclusivity. Any device should work on any network. Data flows freely.
Sure, great idea. Except that we already have competing standards (CDMA, GSM, etc.) Should every handset maker have to incur the cost of building/testing/certifying multiple hardware iterations? An iPhone can't just magically work on a Verizon network in its current incarnation. Someone has to fund the effort to make the radio compatible with Verizons network.
• Transition away from "owning" airwaves. As we've seen with license-free bandwidth via Wi-Fi networking, we can share the airwaves without interfering with each other.
So all of these large competitive companies will play nicely in a shared, non-owned space? As we've also seen with Wifi any number of other common devices can effectively dampen or block the signal entirely. Not exactly what I want for my cellphone service.
• End municipal exclusivity deals for cable companies.
Almost every municipality already manages their contracts with cable companies in a non-exclusive fashion. Except that when you do all the math, the cost of building a cable plant actually takes a very long time to recover. There is little incentive for secondary and tertiary carriers to come into almost any market because there just isn't enough subscriber base for the them all to divide and still make a profit on that area. I've been on telecommunications boards and negotiated/discussed this very topic and concept with multiple MSO's.
• End phone exclusivity. Any device should work on any network. Data flows freely.
Sure, great idea. Except that we already have competing standards (CDMA, GSM, etc.) Should every handset maker have to incur the cost of building/testing/certifying multiple hardware iterations? An iPhone can't just magically work on a Verizon network in its current incarnation. Someone has to fund the effort to make the radio compatible with Verizons network.
• Transition away from "owning" airwaves. As we've seen with license-free bandwidth via Wi-Fi networking, we can share the airwaves without interfering with each other.
So all of these large competitive companies will play nicely in a shared, non-owned space? As we've also seen with Wifi any number of other common devices can effectively dampen or block the signal entirely. Not exactly what I want for my cellphone service.
• End municipal exclusivity deals for cable companies.
Almost every municipality already manages their contracts with cable companies in a non-exclusive fashion. Except that when you do all the math, the cost of building a cable plant actually takes a very long time to recover. There is little incentive for secondary and tertiary carriers to come into almost any market because there just isn't enough subscriber base for the them all to divide and still make a profit on that area. I've been on telecommunications boards and negotiated/discussed this very topic and concept with multiple MSO's.