When Mobile Phones Aren’t Truly Mobile
New York Times - July 22, 2007
Digital Domain
When Mobile Phones Aren’t Truly Mobile
By RANDALL STROSS
WIRELESS carriers in the United States are spiritual descendants of dear Ma Bell: they view total control over customers as their inherited birthright.
The younger generation — Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and the namesake child AT&T — would make their hallowed matriarch proud. They do everything they can to keep power firmly in their own hands. It is entirely at the carriers’ discretion to permit, or disable, the features that a factory loads into the newest phones. They also decide which software can be installed and how it may be used. Many wireless subscribers have ruefully become acquainted with gotcha claus...
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Digital Domain
When Mobile Phones Aren’t Truly Mobile
By RANDALL STROSS
WIRELESS carriers in the United States are spiritual descendants of dear Ma Bell: they view total control over customers as their inherited birthright.
The younger generation — Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and the namesake child AT&T — would make their hallowed matriarch proud. They do everything they can to keep power firmly in their own hands. It is entirely at the carriers’ discretion to permit, or disable, the features that a factory loads into the newest phones. They also decide which software can be installed and how it may be used. Many wireless subscribers have ruefully become acquainted with gotcha claus...
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Just one problem: What about GSM vs. CDMA? How is a T-Mobile customer with a BlackBerry Pearl going to take it to Verizon?
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The FCC can't expect Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, etc. to build a GSM network just for this!
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hence GSM and CDMA phones lol. Just pack as many receivers in one phone as you can and problem solved!!
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wombough said:
hence GSM and CDMA phones lol. Just pack as many receivers in one phone as you can and problem solved!!
Verizon's Global Phone Service does that now.
"Whether business takes you around the country or around the world, you can use Global Phone from Verizon Wireless. In addition to accessing the nation's best, most reliable network in the U.S., you'll also enjoy wireless services in over 140 countries worldwide. With Global Phone, international business travelers can stay connected virtually anywhere - it's one world, one phone and one number."
Various phones are offered and sold by Verizon, including Motorola, Samsung and Blackberry.
http://aboutus.vzw.com/internationalsvcs/globalphone »...
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Ok mr verizon. My point was to be able to not only access GSM out of north america but also in north america. Or be able to take your phone from sprint or verizon to say att. That was the whole point of the thread!
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wombough said:
My point was to be able to not only access GSM out of north america but also in north america. Or be able to take your phone from sprint or verizon to say att. That was the whole point of the thread!
I got that point. My point was that the technology is here to do that right now. Since 2005 actually. The Motorola A840 packs all of CDMA 850 / CDMA 1900/ GSM 900 / GSM 1800 into a 4 oz. phone.
In the US, this phone will ONLY work on Verizon or roam on other CDMA networks. The GSM bands that it supports (900 and 1800) are used exclusively outside the US, therefore the phone will GSM where these bands are available.
So, it's easy to do IF the carriers want it to work.
www.canyouhearusn...
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Wireless Buddy said:
The FCC can't expect Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, etc. to build a GSM network just for this!
I doubt they do. Europe may have mandated a single technology back in the '90s, but America is different and I don't see the FCC doing the same (what do they mandate? CDMA? GSM? WiMax?). I think they just want wireless networks, whatever the technology, to be more open.
Total device portability will be great for the consumer even with the CDMA-GSM divide. On the CDMA side, you'd be able to go back and forth between Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, US Cellular, Metro PCS, Cricket, etc. with your same phone. That's a big improvement over what we have now.
On the GSM side, being able to go back and for...
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SystemShock said:...Wireless Buddy said:
The FCC can't expect Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, etc. to build a GSM network just for this!
I doubt they do. Europe may have mandated a single technology back in the '90s, but America is different and I don't see the FCC doing the same (what do they mandate? CDMA? GSM? WiMax?). I think they just want wireless networks, whatever the technology, to be more open.
Total device portability will be great for the consumer even with the CDMA-GSM divide. On the CDMA side, you'd be able to go back and forth between Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, US Cellular, Metro PCS, Cricket, etc. with your same phone. That's a big improvement over what we have now.
On the G
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I guess people still don't understand that an ETF is not just because of subsadized equipment, but a lot of behind the scenes costs too. I'm sure real estate, equipment, employees, etc are all free, right?
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I really wish people would stop compairing land line service to wireless service..
People keep bitching about limits on services and not being able to use anything they want on any carrier, yet they dont bother asking why..
You want these things to happen, petition to the FCC to give back all the money they charged carriers for spectrum and give all carriers as much spectrum as they want and then change the laws of physics to make that possible, and then maybe you can have your perfect little world.
oh yeah and for phones being locked to specific carriers, get manufactures to stop making exculisive deals with the carriers to only make the phone for one network.. since the carrier has to pay for that deal they have to restrict the p...
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People keep bitching about limits on services and not being able to use anything they want on any carrier, yet they dont bother asking why..
You want these things to happen, petition to the FCC to give back all the money they charged carriers for spectrum and give all carriers as much spectrum as they want and then change the laws of physics to make that possible, and then maybe you can have your perfect little world.
oh yeah and for phones being locked to specific carriers, get manufactures to stop making exculisive deals with the carriers to only make the phone for one network.. since the carrier has to pay for that deal they have to restrict the p...
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primus said:
You want these things to happen, petition to the FCC to give back all the money they charged carriers for spectrum and give all carriers as much spectrum as they want and then change the laws of physics to make that possible, and then maybe you can have your perfect little world.
Google commits $4.6 billion USD to bid on wireless airwaves and it is making news all over the world right now. From France to Australia.
Do you really think you opinion on this blog is going to make a difference?
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It will happen. If Google is in the bid now, and if they don't get it, I'm more than sure Google will get some spectrum in the future.
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A blog is where one person writes a lot of stuff. A forum is what tis is! 🙂 😁 🤤 ☹️ 😢 🤭 👀 😲 😳 🤨 😎 🤣 😡 😛 👿 😈 🙄
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