I said it yesterday, and I’m saying it today:  Verizon opened some doors baby.  Looks like those doors are opening pretty darn rapidly as AT&T AND T-Mobile are also now offering Unlimited Plans to their cell phone service customers!

This, my friends is great news.  The more open everything becomes, the more standardized the pricing, the better all of us are.  Looks like T-Mobile is shaking things up by putting their price point at $99/month and tossing in ALL forms of Messaging (voice, sms, mms, AND IM) while AT&T’s entry level unlimited plan is also $99, you’re looking at an additional $35 a month to toss in all messaging and web use.  No word yet on an unlimited plan for the much heralded iPhone, any Blackberries, or PDA’s.  An oversight I’m sure will be remedied quicker than slower.

Bottom line my friends, this is good news.  I want to hear your thoughts:  Sound off on what this means to you, to the industry, and what service provider you use!

Share This

If you were to ask a whole gaggle of Mobile Warriors, what their number one pet peeve is about their cell phone service provider, I’d be willing to bet that a great deal of them would come together and agree its’ the limitations on their plans that bugs them the most.  Whether it’s how long they can talk, how much data they can transmit or receive or just how much it’d cost to do more, it bugs us all.

That said, it looks like one of the Biggest service providers in the country has heard our feeble cries and decided to do something about it.  That’s right friends, Verizon is now unveiling a series of UNLIMITED plans!  The entry-level Unlimited Voice plan, with no long distance or roaming fees, ever, will be at $99.99 a month and will step up incrementally as users decide whether or not to add unlimited SMS or MMS messaging, web use, VCast and the likes.  Bottom line, this is pretty freaking cool and will make things a whole lot easier for everyone to understand.  Believe it.

The greatest thing about this, in my humble opinion, is that it will open the door for everyone else to follow suit and offer their own version of the Unlimited plan.  Rumor has it, and according to the article I just read, Sprint has their own $119.99/month Unlimited Plan that tosses in web use, email and messaging.  The only problem, it’s not Nationwide…yet.

Share This

How about we start today with a moment of silence…………….Ok, we’re back.  That brief pause was for our dear friend, the Analog Cell Network.  Think of this post as an obituary of sorts, as the service is officially off as of today.

That’s right, the FCC, according to articles, “will allow wireless network operators to shut down their old analog networks. These networks, built in the 1980s and called Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS) were some of the first used in the U.S. Network operators can also turn off their first-generation TDMA digital networks.”  Sad?  No. Not really.  Looks like Verizon Wireless and AT&T are both scheduled do hit the big “Abort” switch today, and others will most likely follow suit in and around today.  Will your service be compromised, you might be asking?  Truthfully, not likely.

The number of services still using these as broad methods of providing connections is low enough that most wireless customers won’t even notice at all.  So, as we move further and further into this digital world, tip your cap, and say farewell to our analog forefathers.  Adieu kind sir.

Share This

Today the Federal Communications Commission announced its decision to go ahead with its plan for the upcoming January auction of some very valuable airwaves

And it will be effecting you and your wireless usage in the near future.

At stake? A huge chunk of prime wireless spectrum known as ‘700 MHz‘. It was bandwidth held in reserve for the television industry, but the technology there won’t need it so it’s being sold off. The entire spectrum is worth $15-20 billion, and will be sold in chunks (at least one of which will be big enough for a new national network.)

What’s so special about it? Well, according to InternetNews; “that spectrum is considered ideal for delivering advanced wireless services, including broadband that meets or exceeds the speeds of DSL or cable modems.”

Normally, this would mean the Big 4 (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel) would slice it up amongst themselves..

But an opportunity like this one doesn’t happen every day, and technology veterans and entrepreneurs alike saw the chance to break up the ‘pseudo-monopoly’ of the Big 4.

With Google leading the charge, an FCC filing was made asking that the auction NOT be business as usual and that the FCC adopt 4 ‘Open-Platform’ initiatives that would make the new bandwidth available, like the internet, for anyone to tap into.

Seasoned wireless telephony executives as well as other corporations joined Google - including eBay (who owns ‘Skype’), Amazon, and Yahoo! They published an open letter asking for consumer and corporate support for the open-platform. That, in turn, led to Congressional hearings.

The Big 4 from came out swinging. Their executives and lobbyists said that the Google-group’s plan was unfairly helping smaller, less-heeled concerns not only to compete - but to dictate terms. They also made the point that their own well-funded R&D groups were the ones most poised to take best advantage of the opportunities of this new bandwidth.

“In the U.S., wireless spectrum for mobile phones and data is controlled by a small group of companies, leaving consumers with very few service providers from which to choose,” fired back Chris Sacca, Google’s Head of Special Initiatives.

Google then stepped up and pledged that if FCC adopted their proposed initiatives, then Google would promise to buy $4.6 billion worth for a new network.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin responded with a plan that tried to walk in the middle. Neither side liked it very much and both put in a big final push to influence him more to one side or the other.

As the industry held its breath today, the final decision surprised few and disappointed many. Martin’s plan is the FCC choice.

To simplify; two of the Google ‘Open Platform’ initiatives were adopted:

1) Open applications: consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire. This means you can use Skype or Firefox or whatever else on your phone .

2) Open devices: consumers should be able to utilize their handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer. No more having to buy a Razr phone made JUST for Verizon or having to switch to AT&T for your iPhone.

But the other key two were not:

3) Open services: Google wanted third parties (resellers) to be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms. It would have spawned small, regional internet and cell-phone companies.

4) Open networks: Google wanted the right for third parties (like Internet service providers) to be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee’s wireless network. Always a long-shot request, this would have had the greatest impact in bringing high-speed internet to more people - especially those who can afford it least.

Ultimately, analysts see this decision in favor of the Big 4. But the battle itself has cracked open a previously locked-down industry.

The question now is if Google will bow out, or fight with its wallet come January.

Share This

So the iPhone is officially out.  I’m sure you’ve seen the news, the videos and photos of people lined up for days just to get their hands on one.  All that excitement, all that hullabaloo and all those claims that Apple and the iPhone will completely take over the wireless industry.  Wow, that, my friends, is quite a claim.

So, is it possible?  COULD Apple and the iPhone take over the wireless industry?  The article I just read over at LiveDigitally.com thinks not, and I agree, and though it’s possible I just don’t see it happening in the near future.  As the article points out, first and foremost there are just way too many handsets sold worldwide each year made by Other manufacturers.  They go on to mention things like turnover rates of phones and the OS that is on them, even down to the claim that style and experience matters less in the mobile phone world than it does in the portable music player/computer world.  Bottom line, they think that for the iPhone to even have a prayer at taking over the wireless world, Apple would have to consistently design and re-design the iPhone for it to always be ahead of the game.

The point I think they are missing, a point that’s most obvious to me is this:  At this time, the Apple iPhone is ONLY available on the  AT&T/Cingular network.  That leaves a gaping hole for all those who use Verizon, T-Mobile or any of the other, smaller networks.  I am a Verizon user myself, and while I was visually impressed by what I saw with the iPhone, first off, I didn’t want to shell out that kind of dough (another reason it might have trouble), and second off, I was irked that I couldn’t get the phone even if I wanted to.  I’m sure a great deal of Verizon users share the same sentiments.

Sound off:  Do YOU Think the iPhone could be Apple’s first step to taking over the wireless world?  Why?  Why Not?  What would it take for them to achieve this??

Share This

Last May, I wrote about the growing trend in other parts of the world to use your cell phone as a kind of mobile payment device (like the unlamented ‘Speedpass’).

Well, ‘Other Parts of the World’? Just became your house, if you’re a Verizon customer.

ComputerWorld is reporting that Verizon and boPay are partnering to let customers use their cell phone as a credit card. According to the article;  “Users access their mobile money with an Obopay prepaid MasterCard, which can be used at any ATM or retail outlet that accepts credit cards. Users also can check their account balances, collect money owed from other mobile users and view transaction histories.”

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg says;  “We used to say you needed three things when you leave your house: your cell phone, car keys and wallet. Soon, you’ll only need your cell phone.”

According to ComputerWorld, Seidenberg did not detail any upcoming automobile-ignition capability for Verizon cell phones.

Share This