I winced when I read parts of this article.
Jumping into bed with Apple was a mistake for the mobile operators … because operators gave away all their apps revenue to Cupertino, and that cash would have come in handy as voice and SMS cashflow declined. … Operators have now seen the error of their ways.
From the point of view of the mobile operators, yeah, sure, maybe that was a mistake? One could argue that mobile operators shouldn’t have been charging per-SMS in the first place. Personally I’m happy mobile operators have little to do with my app store. I have no respect or faith in mobile operators.
Sound harsh? Please consider:
- room 641A1
- NSA call database1
- warrantless wiretapping1
- historical tendency to charge egregious fees for overages, international roaming and breaking out of service contracts2
My wireless carrier should provide a reliable voice and data connection, and nothing more.
1 If the NSA asks you to do any of these things, please cite the fourth amendment and refuse.
2 I do appreciate T-Mobile’s efforts to move away from service contracts (by offering a cheaper service plan for customers who pay full price for their phone).