AT&T's deal to sell the iPhone drew criticism from Democrats, and a defense from Republicans. The arrangement might lead to an open access requirement for a 700 MHz spectrum auction next year.
Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.
Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.
About News Blog
Recent posts on technology, trends, and more.
Add this feed to your online news reader
The problem: American cellular networks are behind the rest of the world.
The Solution: To get America to have full coverage with GSM and have our network compatible with the world's network so American phones can be used anywhere in the world and phones from other countries can be used in America.
Bad evidence: ATT & iPhone (probably picked because it is only sold in the US and can only be used in the US).
An alternate bad evidence: Cell phone wall chargers use 110 Volts, not 220 like some (maybe all) of Europe.
A better argument: Competing cell phone technolgies split the capital investment for phones in half compared to one common technology and reduce market competition because the technologies are separate.
So if you remove ATT and iPhone from the story completely, I think they wanted America to be able to compete with the world instead of being at the bottom of all these ranking lists (less cell phone features, less cell phone coverage percentage, less cell phone data speed...).
And yes they get paid A LOT to do NOTHING.
that to get out of almost any cell contract there was a
cancellation fee, and I just happen to know that Verizons is $175
because I just paid it, and it was a pleasure. And what is my
RAZR good for now? Well nothing as a matter of fact unless I
care to figure out how to unlock it. So the arguements that
these guys make could have been made years ago. And let us
not be fooled into thinking that Verizon or any of the other
companies have customers at all in mind. They run the
monopoly on cell access in America, and access to cell phones at
the same time, so why should they sell you a good phone when
they know their networks cant support them, its shameless , but
not anymore. The iphone has changed the game and they know
it. I mean why should I buy any kind of data service from a cell
provider if I have wifi, which turns my phone into a mini-
computer with speeds a fraction of a second slower than my
hookup at home? I believe this is why ATT gave unlimited
access for cheap. I imagine a day when we will be able to goto a
cell phone store and get any phone we like, go to a service
provider and get access but keep control of our phone, and have
no 2 year agreements but straight month to month, free to go
without penalty and take our phone to another provider if we so
choose. It's absolute madness that in this way we are years
behind most modern countries.
can be addressed, that consumers ought not have the ability to
determine the devices they're going to have on the network?" he
asked.
Apple approached another carrier --- Verizon.
Verizon wasn't willing to share in their monthly revenue.
Verizon didn't trust that Apple would make it worth their while.
Verizon wasn't willing to take a risk on working with Apple.
So, why should Apple be forced to work with them now ?!!!!
Can you imagine being forced to work with a company that has
no faith in your company !!!
So there is a couple of GREAT reasons Markey.
--mark d.
--mark d.
--mark d.
point was, they've already sold a million of these puppies. People
really want it. However, what's the number one complaint in all
the reviews, and among responders here and everywhere? AT&T!
The question is, why do our networks get away with this? If you
want x phone, you can only get it with y network. We've seen the
most dramatic evidence possible that an open, standards-based
network, the Internet, is a huge success with the people, and
with the economy. Why are the wireless networks any different?
The best reason why Jobs went with AT&T is that they have the
widest coverage in the U.S. Edge stinks, but everybody in
Podunk can get AT&T. Of course, there are also areas where you
can't get the signal.
Why not apply standards-based rules to the wireless market, or
at least to the new frequencies coming our way after the analog
TV frequencies are auctioned off when analog TV shuts down.
Then you could have the phone market competing honestly --
based on phone features and price -- and the networks would
really just have to split up its revenue based on working like the
phone networks have had to do since 1968. Why aren't the
wireless networks the same as copper wires? Why the
discriminatory tolls? Why the ridiculous roaming charges?
Time to take a look at the wireless networks.
To those who just want to let the "market" decide, the big telcos
have bought the law, and it already is regulated so AT&T has
spent hundreds of billions putting back the AT&T monopoly that
was wisely broken up long ago.
retards development?
The iPhone has been out for what? 2 weeks? The wireless industry
has been operating in this manner for what? 2 decades? Where
have you been? You can go to any carrier and EVERY PHONE that
they sell can ONLY work on THEIR NETWORK. Go to Sprint and buy
a phone? Sprint Network. Verizon's phones? Verizon network.
Why is it now that there is an iPhone is it a monopoly?
agreement with Apple, would there be as much whining?
It shouldn't be the job of Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint to give the users of their cell networks better phones.
It should be the job of handset manufacturers like Nokia, Treo, SE and Motorola.
The US seriously needs Carterphone for cell carriers. As long as the handset behaves properly, the carrier shouldn't care what phone you use.
Congress is, plain and simple, corrupt. Someone is using their friendship to push through an issue to break a contract that is 100% valid under the Constitution. What "innovation" is served through the NFL's exemption? The merger of Time Warner and AOL? Give it a rest. More lies and corruption going on behind the scenes here with big business the cause.
- by LIBERTYBELL1 July 8, 2009 3:26 AM PDT
- I bought an IPHONE because I wanted one. Sprint sells the Palm Pre and TMobile sells that Android Google Phone, Verizon has the touch screen Blackberry. BIG freaking deal. It's free enterprise. You should not force a company to sell it's product to every vendor because it's "not fair" if they don't. I am so sick of political correctness, of Dems trying to control everything and I mean EVERYTHING the people and businesses do. They want to rule by what THEY think is right, not what the population thinks. I don't want my decisions made for me...ie...the "BAILOUT"...nobody asked me. I don't recall voting on that. We need to take our country back from these control freak losers. Leave Apple alone. If they want to do business with AT&T so what. If you don't want an Iphone, or don't like AT&T then get a "Jail Broken" Iphone and go to another network. Please, aren't there more important issues on America's plate..uh..the economy, illegal issues...screwing up our healthcare system even more maybe??
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
Showing 2 of 2 pages (77 Comments)