walled garden

Verizon today announced that they are opening up their wireless network to all compatible CDMA devices, TechCrunch reports. A friend just messaged me citing this as good news, "they are opening up the walled garden, eh?". While this news is encouraging, I tend to think Verizon is still evil.

Firstly, unlike the unlocked GSM phone market, third party sales of CDMA devices aren't exactly flourishing. Where will customers be coming from with their untethered CDMA phones? I'm guessing, and I know Verizon is hoping, that customers will be bringing their Sprint devices right on over. So what appears as a friendly act of openness, could really boil down to a customer grab.

Secondly, I'm guessing that Verizon will be charging some reasonably substantial "service activation" fee to bring devices to their network. Really, they aren't losing anything when compared with selling subsidized phones chock full of Verizon services. What I think this announcement boils down to is a seemingly heroic attempt to sway public opinion towards Verizon with promises of openness. Brilliant, but evil.

Ditch the long contracts, ditch the pricey cancellation fees, and support non-BREW third party software, then I'll be impressed. Long live Googletel!

Chris
EQO Customer Evangelist

The net neutrality debate has a tendency to get too abstract for the average user to care. Pricing this - tiered service that - enough already. Users just want something that works. Is it working right now? Close enough for most.

Enter the Mobile Operators.

As Gearlog reports, T-Mobile is taking steps to block popular mobile applications like Opera Mini that will make the average user stop and ask what is going on. Other mobile operators are threatening similar action.

As a well known congressman once said, "If you're explaining, you're losing".

The bright side to heavy-handed actions like T-Mobile's is that they show ordinary users why Net Neutrality matters better than any long-winded explanation by the likes of a techno-geek ever could.

Jeff
EQO Founder and Chief Architect