Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
|  It's REALLY Exclusive
If AT&T paid for the privilege of exclusivity, I don't see a problem with it. In this case however, even AT&T resellers aren't allowed to sell the iPhone, only AT&T. My local ILEC resells AT&T service, even has wireless stores like the AT&T stores so they've got a large investment in this, and they aren't allowed to sell the iPhone. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| Cell phone devices prices will rise if advocates win
There is plenty of competition. But one result of ending exclusivity deals would be everyone paying full price for cell phones. And the ones that would hurt the most are those users who can least afford to buy cell phones up front.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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Bill Dollar
join:2009-02-20
Washington, DC
| Maybe your argument would fly if we were talking about ending long-term contracts, which is what the phone subsidies are based on. But we are talking about exclusivity, which is a completely different thing. One only need to look at the large set of phones that are not in exclusive deals to see this.
In fact, ending exclusivity might result in lower-cost phones, as carriers differentiate by lowering the cost of the latest "hot" handset. |
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Ron Paul
Premium
join:2008-01-11
Seattle, WA
| reply to Matt
Re: It's REALLY Exclusive
said by Matt  :If AT&T paid for the privilege of exclusivity, I don't see a problem with it. In this case however, even AT&T resellers aren't allowed to sell the iPhone, only AT&T. My local ILEC resells AT&T service, even has wireless stores like the AT&T stores so they've got a large investment in this, and they aren't allowed to sell the iPhone. I agree. AT&T deserves a reward for taking a risk, albeit a calculated and small one. The exclusivity could've easily been an unprofitable endeavor had the product not succeeded.
No Virginia, you are not entitled to an iPhone. This attitude is exactly what's wrong with this country and part of how we came to be in the precarious position in which we now find ourselves.
I'd like a government that focused on important issues instead of whether or not an iPhone is a right. I don't think I'm alone in this.
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I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. |
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omegadangerdoom
@dai.com
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Cell phone devices prices will rise if advocates win
said by TKJunkMail :There is plenty of competition. But one result of ending exclusivity deals would be everyone paying full price for cell phones. And the ones that would hurt the most are those users who can least afford to buy cell phones up front. Could you elaborate on that more please? When the blackberry and the razr broke exclusivity, they still had a subsidy, discounted price. I use to sell cellphones for a couple of years and I don't see anything like ending exclusivity bring UP the price on cell phones. The industry wouldn't be able to handle the backlash.
Ultimately, I think its a moot point anyways. Most people like going with the carrier for THE SERVICE not THE DEVICE. I've only rarely seen people leave their service for a phone (especially if they know their current service is superior) ie: leaving Verizon for Sprint because the latter has the new Palm Pre (which admittedly IS cool). |
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nothing00
join:2001-06-10
Centereach, NY
| Europe got it right, we got it wrong
For various European big government, anti-capitalistic, anti-free market reasons the cell phone and provider industry in Europe is far superior to the situation in the US.
A blind, free market, "let the big companies do whatever they can because it will benefit the consumer" model is naive. We're suffering for lack of vision, oversight and regulation in the cell market, internet access, automotive, energy, banking industry (!), health care and others.
Of course, lots of those execs got to make great money... So it works for some people, just not the consumer.
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I got my - I got my - I got my port ayyyeetteee!(to the tune of "I want my MTV" Money for Nothing) |
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rec9140
Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL
|  Phones should be sold separate from service
There should be cell phone stores, site, kiosks, etc. that you go to pick phone that matches your carriers technology and then you go to your carrier and sign up.
You have VZW, US Cellular ......here are the CDMA phones..
You Boost/nexhell....here are the iDEN radios.....
If the carriers want to sell phones too, thats fine too.
The carriers will never go for this in the US as they want you tied into a contract via cheap phones.
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If its not Linux, Unix or BSD, and using KDE 3.5.x it SUCKS! - Ban all copyright, trademarks, and IP laws!//Lorem ipsum ei pro stet equidem labores, at enim animal expetenda nec. Ea vix argumentum dissentiunt, u |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to omegadangerdoom
Re: Cell phone devices prices will rise if advocates win
said by omegadangerdoom :said by TKJunkMail :There is plenty of competition. But one result of ending exclusivity deals would be everyone paying full price for cell phones. And the ones that would hurt the most are those users who can least afford to buy cell phones up front. Could you elaborate on that more please? When the blackberry and the razr broke exclusivity, they still had a subsidy, discounted price. The same advocates are also proposing that cell service providers NOT be allowed to subsidize cell phone purchases by tying the purchase to cell service contracts.
IOW, no exclusivity & no cell phone purchases subsidized by contracts. »techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1···12.shtml
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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jameswade
join:2001-12-09
Hot Springs, NC
·US Cellular
·Verizon BroadbandA..
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to TKJunkMail
We'll pay full price one way or another!
Still my first response would be to leave the marketplace alone, but these guys are using our public airwaves, even if they (I mean we) pay for their usage. I don't like this exclusivity and would like more open systems.
Where we are located there is no AT&T, only Verizon and US Cellular. No iPhones for us. No Android phones for us. At least there are CDMA versions of Blackberrys... |
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moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :There is plenty of competition. But one result of ending exclusivity deals would be everyone paying full price for cell phones. And the ones that would hurt the most are those users who can least afford to buy cell phones up front. First off, contracts are the reason new phones cost next to nothing or even free.
Second, who cares if they can't afford a cell phone since they are luxury items. |
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soothsayer15
join:2002-03-01
Irving, TX
| How Bougus
An iPhone isn't a need, it's a want. But this is America, so people have to get things the way they want when they want it. I'm all for consumer groups, but this time they have it wrong. I know they are pushing for the end of all exclusivity, but where have they been for the past few years.Other companies are paying the price for being asleep at the wheel when Apple saw an opportunity. They were more concerned about maintaining their quarterly profits then spending money on research & development.Some of these companies have some awesome phones overseas, but their American strategy is to copy want someone else is doing. The iPhone isn't huge in Japan, I wonder why? |
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NetAdmin
CCNA
join:2008-05-22
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Cell phone devices prices will rise if advocates win
said by TKJunkMail :But one result of ending exclusivity deals would be everyone paying full price for cell phones. And the ones that would hurt the most are those users who can least afford to buy cell phones up front. Then they will just have to live with a cheaper model or no phone at all.
I honestly believe that moving to a model where the customer pays the full, unsubsidized price for phones would be a step in the right direction.
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"This is a bus. You know how big a bus is?" |
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BillRoland
Premium
join:2001-01-21
Ocala, FL
clubs: | reply to nothing00
Re: Europe got it right, we got it wrong
LOL, thanks for that, I needed my Friday laugh. |
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ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | TIA! THIS IS AMERICA (US)
Socialist Groups, Nazilla Attack Cellphone Exclusivity
The socialist party, smaller pre-paid carriers (like StatePCS) and even Nazilla have joined hands to protest wireless device exclusivity -- like the devil's exclusive contract with Apple to offer the iPhone.
More and more I'm seeing socialistic ideals being spread and embraced. Free enterprise, capitalism?
Nothing gets my blood boiling more than socialist 
/soapbox |
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beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH
| What exactly are they proposing?
Take the iphone as it's the best example. They want to build it and make it exclusive to the highest bidder...If exclusivity goes away do they then HAVE to build a phone that's compatible with everyone elses network? Does the government step in and say "hey apple, you can't ship a gsm iphone unless you build cdma versions too"? Sounds absolutely CRAZY to me.
One big difference in the US are all the different carrier technologies. Even our 2 3G players don't use the same frequencies.
I don't see where this is any of the government's business. |
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Pentaxian
Premium
join:2008-01-23
West Milford, NJ
| reply to ninjatutle
Re: TIA! THIS IS AMERICA (US)
The bottom line is at Apple. They need to rethink their marketing and partnership strategy. As a share holder I am immensely upset at the fact that *only* AT&T was allowed to carry the iPhone, which of course Apple had a lot riding on. It pains me to think of the rewards Apple and it's shareholders would have reaped had Apple forgone the exclusivity of the iPhone and offered it to any carrier that wanted it.. Talk about mismanagement. This is a classic example. |
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jhboricua
ExMod 2000-01
join:2000-06-06
Minneapolis, MN
clubs:
| reply to ninjatutle
said by ninjatutle :Nothing gets my blood boiling more than socialist Nothing gets my blood boiling more than fearmongers that slap the socialist tag on anything they feel like.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." - Albert Einstein
Jose A. Hernandez * System Admin * MPLS, Minnesota, USA * |
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jhboricua
ExMod 2000-01
join:2000-06-06
Minneapolis, MN
clubs:
| reply to omegadangerdoom
Re: Cell phone devices prices will rise if advocates win
said by omegadangerdoom :
Ultimately, I think its a moot point anyways. Most people like going with the carrier for THE SERVICE not THE DEVICE. I've only rarely seen people leave their service for a phone (especially if they know their current service is superior) Huh? So because you've rarely seen people leave their service for a phone you concluded that is a rare occurence? I suppose the potential millions of users that have switched to AT&T so they can have an iPhone don't count. |
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omegadangerdoom
@dai.com
| said by jhboricua :said by omegadangerdoom :
Ultimately, I think its a moot point anyways. Most people like going with the carrier for THE SERVICE not THE DEVICE. I've only rarely seen people leave their service for a phone (especially if they know their current service is superior) Huh? So because you've rarely seen people leave their service for a phone you concluded that is a rare occurence? I suppose the potential millions of users that have switched to AT&T so they can have an iPhone don't count. The "millions" of users who switched over to the iphone you mentioned mostly were ALREADY At&t customers (or cingular customers...same thing).
Yeah working with Verizon, I had to study and re-study things like churn rates and retention. I looked it up and followed up on it everyday. YES, they were a ridiculous number of people going over to At&t for the iphone but not as many as you think and a good number of them left after the 30 days to stay with their previous service. Some people even got the iphone just to bring them over to T-mobile (which, IMO, has GREAT customer service compared to At&t).
I'm getting off track here. Basically phones like the iphone, blackberry storm and the like are a niche product usually made to RETAIN customers. Rarely will customers who leave a service they like go over to another provider who may have inferior service (not saying that you WILL be met with a provider with inferior service). I just don't think this whole debate of exclusivity really matters. People like what they like. Your average customers (those who make the bulk of most cell phone service providers) don't care if another company has the hot phone. More likely than not if the subject comes up they ask their current provider if they have a phone that compares to the competition. |
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tdouglas22
join:2001-09-25
Memphis, TN
| I'm all for this
If they want to make the iPhone or any other cell phone available on any cellular network then I'm all for it. Many people would love to get these phones and have them be designed for their network. I see nothing but profit for the companies involved in making the phones. |
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