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How Google Voice Could Change Everything
And become a nightmare for phone company executives

If you needed any further evidence as to why AT&T and Verizon are so worried about Google Voice, Lifehacker highlights how users have been using Google Voice to make unlimited wireless calls, something many of our users have been doing for a while now. You of course know that most carriers have plans that allow you to call certain favorite numbers without eroding your minutes (Friends & Family, MyFaves, A-List). So what happens when you make one of those favorite numbers your Google Voice number?

As we've explored, this is precisely the kind of threat that terrifies AT&T and Verizon. Once you've got a truly open network with open devices, voice simply becomes data, SMS becomes irrelevant, and the "phone company," at least as we know it today, dies. Companies like AT&T and Verizon's role in the ecosystem shifts from being content and service companies, to simply being less profitable dumb pipes.

Click for full size
In a dumb pipe world, AT&T or Verizon simply run the network and charge for bandwidth. Everything simply becomes data. With consumers picking the device, applications, IM platform, and calling mechanism of their choice over the network of their choice. The existing minutes and SMS bundle pricing structure gets obliterated.

What Google's doing is only the clunky beginning of a major shift. Once you've got more bandwidth, and truly open devices and networks, other content companies will follow suit in trying to take over the "service" portion of the equation. If my phone is like my PC with an open OS and applications I chose, why use AT&T and Verizon's dialing mechanisms? Eventually, the phone company's only option in such an open wireless ecosystem will be to constrict the pipe and charge more for bandwidth to balance billions in lost SMS, content and voice revenues.

What's an old phone company's recourse to preserve power in that kind of environment? Well, they can fight opening up their networks every step of the way (which they've done). They can engage in a game of cat and mouse to try and disable these kinds of workarounds (surely already underway). They can also attack Google for being mean to nuns and corn farmers, lobby to impose new restrictive regulations on these companies, and pass off this organic shift as the work of communists and ne'er do wells. This will work. For a while. Maybe for years.

Aside from a few public relations platitudes, carriers continue to fight against truly open networks. Phone company unions are crying out for more regulations on Google. Apple and AT&T balk at approving Google Voice for the iPhone. Why? Control. If you step back and really appreciate what's happening here, you can see that products like Google Voice could be to AT&T and Verizon what broadband was to the music industry: a business ecosystem atomic bomb.
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gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

1 edit

gigahurtz

Premium Member

Seriously?

This is just now coming out? Anyone who has GV has known this for a long time. Wireless carriers are figuring out ways around this already.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

2 edits

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

said by gigahurtz:

This is just now coming out? Anyone who has GV has known this for a long time. Wireless carriers are figuring out ways around this already.
They will end "Friends & Faves" options. Or, eventually they will charge more for data. The pipe has to be paid for, no matter what Google wants.

Or they can do what Sprint did. Make GV irrelevant. 90% or more of my monthly phone calls are to cellphones. Sprint charges no minutes against mobile-to-mobile calls no matter the carrier calling or being called if you have a data plan on your smartphone. I have a GV account but it is not needed. So Sprint gets it's pipe paid for by users having a data plan and voice calls ride on that income for free.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

said by FFH5:

Or, eventually they will charge more for data. The pipe has to be paid for, no matter what Google wants.
I foresee rate increases. Also, the "Friends & Faves" options from the players that I've looked at already require you to pay up to receive the option in the first place. Paying up for more minutes to facilitate "free unlimited calling" kinds of minimizes/eliminates the benefit IMO.

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

I think Sprint has a feature called "Sprint to Home" or something like that. IIRC, it was $5/mo and allowed unlimited calls to/from your "home" line.

If I wasn't already getting a good discount from Sprint and used more than 450 minutes/mo to non-cell phones during prime time, I'd consider shelling out the extra $5/mo for this. Then all you have to do is designate your Google Voice number as your "home number".

My parents use a ton of prime time minutes each month, and are thinking about switching to Sprint from AT&T. If they do this, perhaps I'll set them each up with a Google Voice number first. Then they can just get a smartphone that has Google Voice apps (like the Palm Pre), get Sprint's lowest minute package with the "Sprint to Home" option, and use Google Voice for all their calls.

With this avenue available to customers, I wonder if Sprint will ever consider introducing a zero minute (or extremely cheap 100 minute or so) package. As long as there's Sprint to Home and Google Voice, I'd be set with essentially a free unlimited bucket of minutes.
pandora
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Outland

pandora

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Sprint already has free pick 3 or free pick 5. In the Palm Pre appstore is a free google voice dialer that works off your contact list. You can already get free unlimited calling off almost any Sprint phone without much effort.

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Thanks. Didn't know about the pick 3/pick 5 option. I'll set that up today and use my Google Voice number as one of the free call numbers.

I've already installed gDial Pro, so after I do that I guess I'm ready to go... with no extra $5/mo "Sprint to Home" charge needed.

SLD
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

1 edit

SLD to openbox9

Premium Member

to openbox9
The article explains that you really have to be over-paying already to qualify for these features. Rate increases would only add insult to injury.
With the average cell user already paying $3/minute, what to the cell companies really have to complain about?!?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Huh? Over paying? $3/min...please explain.

SLD
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

SLD

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Maybe someone can find the original LA Times article, but here is one from my area:

»blogs.chron.com/techblog ··· ell.html
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Thanks for the article. While I think the article is lacking important data, I don't doubt that the cost/minute is relatively high. I don't consider this "over-paying", but more an opportunity cost of convenience.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru to openbox9

MVM

to openbox9
There was an article earlier this year of a survey of 700 San Diego cell phone users that found that, on average, consumers were paying $3/minute. The numbers were skewed by people that paid for many minutes but only used a few, but even excluding the extremes, people were still paying $.50-$1/minute.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

the study, conducted by the auditing firm TeleTruth on behalf of the Utility Consumers' Action Network and showing an average charge of $3.02 per minute, was based on 134 wireless bills.
I'd need to look at the report before this claim can be taken seriously. Anyway, I don't look at my wireless phone bill as paying $x/min, I look at it as paying $y/mth for the convenience of always having a voice capability with me.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

Re: Seriously?

said by openbox9:

I'd need to look at the report before this claim can be taken seriously.
Take it for what it's worth. I'm not saying the methodology is right or wrong, I'm just pointing to where the $3/minute came from.
Anyway, I don't look at my wireless phone bill as paying $x/min, I look at it as paying $y/mth for the convenience of always having a voice capability with me.
For many users that don't use it as a primary line and rather just a backup or while they are out type usage, prepaid may be far more economical as you still have the convenience of having the capability (as long as the minutes are there) but you aren't losing unused minutes at the end of the month. T-mobile for instance has rates as low as $.10 per minute which is only slightly higher then many of their monthly plans but the minutes don't expire for a year, or even longer if you top off within that year with additional funds.

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr

MVM

Re: Seriously?

said by cdru:

prepaid may be far more economical as you still have the convenience of having the capability (as long as the minutes are there) but you aren't losing unused minutes at the end of the month.
Prepaid plan no longer offered by Verizon but grandfathered if you have it but don't change it, has a $15/mo. minimum bump (100 minutes), but unused minutes rollover, as long as you continue to renew. My wife's cellphone has 58+ hours primetime minutes accumulated. Double on nights and weekends.

The trouble with drawing the minutes down -- you gotta answer the phone when somebody calls.

She uses it for emergency only.

The trouble with that $3/minute study mentioned earlier is it probably takes the monthly fee and divides it by the minutes actually used to come up with minutes cost. Which says a lot of people have plans they don't fully use.

"But I can make a call if I want to."
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Seriously?

VZ does have a prepaid plan still. It's just $$$$ now.

SLD
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

SLD to cdru

Premium Member

to cdru
I use that. I pay about $100/yr for cell.
xrobertcmx
Premium Member
join:2001-06-18
White Plains, MD

xrobertcmx to cdru

Premium Member

to cdru
Plan AT&T Family w/1 iPhone 2000 min
Phones 5
Billable Minutes used 1706

Now if I only take the voice portion of the bill, and divide by the minutes used...about $0.09 per minutes if I round up.
We won't be using as many billable minutes this next month, that new 10 free numbers started.
I really miss T-Mobile, not only did I pay about $30 less for the same things, but each number had the fav 5. Now, if their service would just work at my house I could switch back.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
The pipe is already paid for... You mean, re-pay...
Google pays for their connection. I pay for my connection.
Where is it not paid for?

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

1 edit

digiblur to gigahurtz

Premium Member

to gigahurtz
said by gigahurtz:

This is just now coming out? Anyone who has GV has known this for a long time. Wireless carriers are figuring out ways around this already.
No doubt...this is very old news. I've even seen people doing this with a couple of VoIP boxes themselves.

But with GV and the google voice dialer on my WinMo phone makes it VERY easy!

PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD

PapaMidnight to gigahurtz

Member

to gigahurtz
said by gigahurtz:

This is just now coming out? Anyone who has GV has known this for a long time. Wireless carriers are figuring out ways around this already.
And anyone who's been following the news knows that it's been getting blocked on Apple's iPhone.

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Not for those that have jailbroken iPhones.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
Ubiquiti NSM5
Synology RT2600ac
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)

1 recommendation

TamaraB

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

said by NOVA_Guy:

Not for those that have jailbroken iPhones.
Or for those of us who picked up GV from the App Store before it was banned.

Bob

SLD
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

SLD

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

I thought it was never approved?

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
Ubiquiti NSM5
Synology RT2600ac
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)

2 edits

TamaraB

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Yes seriously. It was originally approved, and available for free download on the App Store. Then it was taken down and banned. I happened to get it while it was available. So, Apple is discriminating against those who were not fortunate enough to get it before the ban.

Bob

EDIT: The File date on my GV Mobile.ipa is 7/7/2009 That must be the day I downloaded it. My iPhone is Not Jailbroken YET!

williamray507
No More Mr Nice Guy
Premium Member
join:2001-10-04
Huntington, WV

1 edit

williamray507

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

said by TamaraB:

Yes seriously. It was originally approved, and available for free download on the App Store. Then it was taken down and banned. I happened to get it while it was available. So, Apple is discriminating against those who were not fortunate enough to get it before the ban.

Bob

EDIT: The File date on my GV Mobile.ipa is 7/7/2009 That must be the day I downloaded it. My iPhone is Not Jailbroken YET!
The "official" Google Voice App by Google never got approved. There were several Apps made by others that were approved GV Mobile being one of them by Sean Kovacs. It is now avaliable for jailbroken users for free on Cydia.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx

TamaraB

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

Ahhhh.... Ok. Here I thought this GV Mobile was a Google app. It too has been banned, it is no longer on the App Store.

Bob
Fisamo
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Apex, NC

Fisamo to PapaMidnight

Premium Member

to PapaMidnight
The Google Voice APP has been blocked, but I doubt they're blocking the ability to call your Google voice number (if on your A-list) and use that to place a 'free' call...

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

I doubt they would have the ability to block you from calling a regular telephone number. If AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc. did try this it would be cause for me to file yet another complaint with the FCC against them (as I would strongly encourage others to do).
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Re: Seriously?

They can't block you from calling the number but if they wanted, there would be nothing preventing them from removing it from your "A List".

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Seriously?

That would probably leave more than a few people angry, and I'd hope that they all would then file complaints with the FCC. This would essentially be treating a regular telephone number differently and blocking access/charging "additional money" for accessing it-- something that the FCC might not look too kindly on.

If they would have a few thousand complaints generated over it, at least that would keep their complaint response people busy for a day or two. If they treat you unfairly, the least you can do is make an effort to cost them some extra money that they hadn't planned on spending.
Dissonance
join:2007-03-26
Floral Park, NY

Dissonance

Member

Re: Seriously?

I think the terms of service technically ban services like GV and calling cards, it's just not enforceable.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to NOVA_Guy

Member

to NOVA_Guy
I hear what you are saying and I agree that it wouldn't be fair but I don't think there would be any ground to complain to the FCC. If they didn't allow it in your A-list, they would simply be charging the same as any number not in your A-list. One could certainly try an FCC complaint but the only thing they are potentially violating is their own contract with you. They aren't prohibiting the call and they aren't charging you a premium above any other number. They just aren't giving you the A-list discount.

ReformCRTC
Support Your Independent ISP
join:2004-03-07
Canada

ReformCRTC to gigahurtz

Member

to gigahurtz
AT&T? Verizon? Please.

Be. The. Dumb. Pipe. No more, no less. No shaping, throttling, caps, and other monkey business.

Can't make money that way? Bat snot.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4 to gigahurtz

Member

to gigahurtz
lol. i was thinking the same thing. pay for 300minutes get unlimited.

it has been talked about it before many many times. you get the people that are all for it and then you get the few people that say that you shouldn't do it blah blah blah.
glinc
join:2009-04-07
New York, NY

glinc

Member

heh

I've been enjoying G-Voice with my friends and family lol

Mr Fel
INTJ - The Architect
Premium Member
join:2008-03-17
Louisville, KY

Mr Fel

Premium Member

That's Brilliant

I would give that a try if I had the option available, however I'm getting prepaid service from Tracfone. Still way ahead price wise compared to major carriers

nklb
Premium Member
join:2000-11-17
Ann Arbor, MI

nklb

Premium Member

I wish this were true

Yes, you can do this. However, at least in the case of T-Mobile MyFaves, it violates the terms you agree to when you sign up since the google voice service provides access to 500 or more persons.

That being said, you can do it and probably get away with it, but it would give T-Mobile a reason to terminate your contract at their will or whatever other punishments they could theoretically get away with.
Hidev
join:2009-10-12
Bradenton, FL

Hidev

Member

Re: I wish this were true

I've been using it with my faves for the last year. It works great. At weekends when its unlimited i log into GV and change to display callers number instead of GV# then on Monday change it back again. As far as they could cancel my contract...Go ahead... I cant wait for it to expire as it is, and i'm sure i speak for a lot of people in that dept.

Letting you break your contract is the last thing they want you to do...period.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

1 recommendation

itguy05

Member

Still a PITA

Don't get it. I barely use my minutes now so why do I care if I get free minutes?

Then there's the way to do it that makes it a PITA
1. Call google from my phone
2. Press 2 to make a call
3. Type in the number

vs calling from the cell
1. Find # in speed dial and hit call

No thanks. It's still a PITA No matter what the blog dolts tell you.

••••••••••
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

1 edit

Mr Matt

Member

We had a little theater it is time to go to the lobby.

It is time for the wireless carriers to get out their fat wallets and begin paying off lawmakers to write laws setting up the phone police to arrest and punish those violating the wireless carriers TOS agreement. High Ho High Ho it's off to jail we go.

Actually there are benifical uses for Google Voice that do not impact the Wireless Carriers. I picked a Google Voice Number in Clermont Florida, a local call from Orlando. Without Google Voice persons wishing to call my home from Orlando had to pay toll charges. Now they can place a local call to my home.

•••••
bostonkarl1
join:2003-07-09
Arlington, VA

1 recommendation

bostonkarl1

Member

It is a paradigm shift

Pre-internet, voice was the data content. And those that carried voice got the bucks. The telcos are used to that model and made a ton of money on it.

Today, voice is simply data packets. The big winners will be those that provide data, in whatever format, that people want. Those that simply move data around as a service will play second fiddle.

The telcos offer nothing in the way of data content that people want or need. Absolutely nothing. Nada, zilch, zip. ATT is in no way shape or form in the same league with google maps, expedia, netflix, yahoo, etc.

And so we hear the exo-flood nonsense from so-called analysts that seem to have suffered the effects of too much peroxide. Or have been paid off.

Islandmantwo
@embarqhsd.net

Islandmantwo

Anon

Don't forget theother Voip services!

It's not just Google, its Skype "phone number to go", and all the other Voip services that offer access via pots service or a voip connection on a "smart device". The technology has exclipsed legacy providers. New business models are needed to be viable in the future. Flat rate pricing is already starting to show up in the market place such as Tracfone, Boost and others. Consumers will help drive the services wireless carriers provide.
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner

Premium Member

Free texts to friends and family?

Text messages are metered for friends & family, correct? I can't find anything saying otherwise online.

I have VZ and hardly use over 900 minutes a month... I do like to use GV for calling 1800 #s when I know I will be placed on hold, but it is kind of a PITA to use GV for quick, casual calls to people on my phone's contact list.
45071419 (banned)
join:2006-07-30

45071419 (banned)

Member

Perfect World

quote:
In a dumb pipe world, AT&T or Verizon simply run the network and charge for bandwidth. Everything simply becomes data. With consumers picking the device, applications, IM platform, and calling mechanism of their choice over the network of their choice.
That sounds like a perfect world to me! I don't want the ISP's telling me what contect I can have access to (ESPN 360?). Unfortunately this perfect world will never happen.

Where's that DSLR pic Karl, the one that shows a glimpse of the internet's "craptastic" future? The one with a menu of ISP's and the portals/content you will have access to if you sign up with that ISP. I have been looking for that pic (but not very hard).
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Not new

A others have said, this sort of thing isn't new. Before the advent of unlimited plans but during the time of unlimited M2M and MyFaces, you could get an unlimited LD card on eBay that had an M2M number from one of the carriers. Boom, unlimited.

This is a little simpler (and free) but realistically when you can get an unlimited voice plan for as cheaply as is possible now, hacks to increase your minutes available don't really matter.

I have Sprint Pick 3 (like MyFaves except to/from three numbers) and GVoice isn't one of them. If I was getting close to going over my minutes then yes I'd use it, but not now.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

gotta love 3 minute phone calls? Bah!

3 minute phone calls are just about good for checking voicemail.. not much more! Use skype if you really want the phone companies to go apesheet! Skype to Skype is free 24/7/365. Maybe calling another google voice number doesn't have the cap.. but calling a regular phone line (pots/cell) will start the countdown. i'm waiting for more device than the iphone and itouch to have these applications.. we need more choice of phone & portable devices (media players) at lower price points for this to be a real game changer. it would even scare the pre-paid cellular companies into lowering prices (oh goodie!)

•••

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121

Premium Member

No clever subject comes to mind

My understanding is that the US/Canada market is somewhat unique in that the cell phone account owner pays for incoming calls just like regular minutes, whereas in many foreign countries the caller gets hit with a premium for calling mobile numbers (which frequently have a separate "area code" type designation for ease of billing). Clearly the Google Voice approach doesn't work there.

For the couple of US carriers who have free incoming (Nextel, US Cellular, any others?) this is a potential alarm bell, because ther's no reason for anyone to ever use any outgoing minutes (assuming you have a data plan and can reach the GV website to place calls).

And speaking of which, everyone seems to be overlooking the fact that Google Voice isn't really "free" phone calls -- it's just that Google is paying the charges. It's free to the user, but there is still a cost associated with it. And it can be cancelled at any time (or switched to ad-supported, which many of us would find annoying).
voipjunk
join:2004-08-07
Spring Hill, FL

voipjunk

Member

Make 'Free' Wireless Calls With Google Voice

Yeah, That's not new. This is old hack, worked with google voice, ringbranch.

That is why all the cellphone providers are reducing their rates now. With unlimited nationwide calling coming down to $45 - $60 range (Pageplus, cricket,boost, AT&T Gophone and rumored tmobile project dark/back), this hack is useless. It is better to dial straight from your phone book than to call gvoice number and dial the whole number.
With nationwide unlimited calling all other plans like myfav,mycircle will be outdated.

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Make 'Free' Wireless Calls With Google Voice

I wonder how willing any cell phone provider will be to let me use my "free" "unlimited" weekend minutes to sit on conference calls on FreeConferenceCall.com for a few hours at a time...
skurfa4
join:2006-03-10
Yorktown, VA

skurfa4

Member

And with LTE?

These are the kinds of questions that make me stop and think when I hear how LTE is going to kick WiMax's ass. Are ATT and VZ really going to just say, "here ya go, a mad fast mobile data pipe, $50-60 a month, do what you want with it"? Something tells me not gonna happen, but if they don't how will they compete with Clear who, so far anyway, IS doing just that? Going to be interesting to watch me thinks.

•••

Anonymous88
Premium Member
join:2004-06-01
IA

Anonymous88

Premium Member

Can't get it

This is great but what's the point if one can't get Google voice?

"Google Voice is currently available for GrandCentral users only, but will be open to new users soon. In the meantime, please leave us your email address and we'll notify you as soon as Google Voice becomes available. To learn more about Google Voice, check out our feature videos. "

And I did give them my email address several months ago but nothing happened...

•••

INsano
@clearwire-wmx.net

INsano

Anon

Sprint's "Any Mobile, Any Time"???

As of two weeks ago, Sprint has accepted its pipe destiny and on its high ARPU data plans includes free calling to ANY mobile phone on ANY network. Your bundled minutes now only count against landline phonecalls. Lets face it, you're not going through 1500 of those in a month.

I would feel sorry for the likes of AT&T, a poorly run dinosaur, if they weren't fighting inevitability what's best for the consumer every step of the way.

If you don't want your apps controlled, if you don't want your access limited, you just need to do the research on who is being more open with their network and OS, then make an informed decision about your mobile product(s).

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy

Premium Member

Re: Sprint's "Any Mobile, Any Time"???

Very well put.

Last month I made the move from AT&T to Sprint myself. While I do miss my iPhone at times, I find my overall satisfaction at this point to be higher with Sprint. Two consistent dead zones I had with AT&T on the way to & from work are covered by Sprint. Data network seems to be rock solid. (There were times I'd be sitting in traffic in downtown DC with full signal strength indicated on the phone but absolutely no usable data connection. Unacceptable, in my book. I couldn't listen to Slacker or Pandora.)

I've transitioned to a Palm Pre, and have been enjoying Pandora on it. I've also set up my own Ampache streaming music site and have been using it with my phone as well. The only thing left to do now is set up streaming video and put some of my video library on my external site as well.

nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium Member
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA

nixen

Premium Member

Historically, When Did Telcos Become "Content Providers"?

Back in the pre-Internet land-rush days, weren't the telcos just "dump pipes" for voice. What "content" did they really offer. I mean, the old "time & temperature) was a free service. 411 (etc.) were either free or things to be avoided. Neither would I terribly much call "content". And, definitely, the calls between myself and friends, family and work were not "content".

Judging by the hopeless excuses for content telcos have offered up over the years, they STILL are only good at one thing: managing pipes. Perhaps people would be interested in them being more than pipes if they ever actually provided worthwhile content. The reason people don't want them for anything but pipes is because they're no good at content.

Seriously. Listen up telcos: be happy to be earning money from your damned pipes. If you were to provide actual content of value, rather than obstruction of valuable content, people would buy it from you. Go back to what you're good at doing: running networks.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Kind of misleading caption

Friends & Family, MyFaves, A-list type plans are required ON YOUR EXISTING PAID FOR cell service.
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you AREN'T making free calls without existing service!

floepie
join:2005-12-01

floepie

Member

My fav feature

My favorite feature of Google Voice is FREE SMS if at your PC or from within the GV app on your mobile device. Then, when away from your PC and someone responds to an SMS you sent from GV, I can reply to it via email (if SMS's are forwarded to you by email). And, because the email reply-to uses GV's servers, the conversation is fully achievable and viewable in GV or on your GV mobile app.
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