huntml
join:2002-01-23
Mullica Hill, NJ
 ·Comcast
1 edit | Until I see the actual standards...
...I am going to remain a bit skeptical that this is all that it seems.
For one thing, I've heard it reported that the interface standards will be designed to 'reduce malware on the network,' and VZ has always in the past used this as a justification for not allowing Java/J2ME apps and for walling off their mobile web proxy servers.
For another thing, most people don't know this, but VZ has recently changed their plans for handset mobile web access to being data-based from being airtime-based. A lot of people who use VZ's mobile web used to take advantage of their unlimited N&W minutes to browse the web; now they all have to pay (unless they're on VZ 'unlimited' Mobile Web 2.0 plan, which is still very limited in terms of being a walled garden). What this all means it that allowing more handsets that use data outside of VZ's walled garden would be a nice way to increase data ARPU. I don't know how this thing is going to be implemented, but it wouldn't surprise me if dumbphone users with the $15 Mobile Web plan who use 3d-party browsers to go off the reservation will end up paying additional data charges for it.
For yet another thing, while VZ does allow smartphone users to browse at will, VZ's TOS for smartphone data plans is very, very restrictive. You're only supposed to use it for e-mail, browsing, etc., and nothing that continually or automatically downloads/uploads data. Under this TOS, even things that aren't particularly data-intensive like, say, running google maps with real-time traffic, or your own GPS puck, are not acceptable (according to the letter of the policy) and could be grounds for termination.
Too, as most people interested in such things *do* know, VZ has a defacto cap on their 'unlimited' data for smartphones, which is around 5 GB/mo. This means that many of the things people want to do with mobile data, e.g. streaming audio/video, slingbox, etc., will still not be allowed.
I don't see any indication that any of these policies will be changed.
Then, too, there have been lawsuits relating to carriers' continued locking of handsets after they were off contract which have resulted in Sprint's agreeing to give people their MSLs (master lock codes) after their contract is done, as well as announcing an intention to allow unbranded compatible devices to be activated on their network, so much of this might be VZ's just making a PR opportunity out of something the law/regulators/market was soon going to necessitate that they do anyway.
So though any movement by a major carrier toward opening up its network is to be applauded, I don't yet think there's really much to see here.
It will be really interesting to see the standards when they publish them in early '08. |
