how to communicate
I’ve been reading alot lately about the changing cell phones and data plans are changing. The iPhone has really gotten consumers and companies attention.
Granted, I’d love to have an iPhone. While I do have a decent phone (LG’s Vx9900) I feel it lacks what it’s really trying to do (iPhone wanna be a year before it came out). Maybe it’s because I don’t feel like paying an extra $40 a month for Verizon’s data plan. But their cheapest “Package “is still $79.99, while AT&T’s iPhone plan is $59.99, only $15 more each month then what I’m paying now, which apparently would go strait to Apple anyway. Good for me, I have Apple stock I bought at $9.78 in 2000. 
Though ya still have to deal with the AT&T network, maybe not for long….
The news today? Verizon is letting customers “bring your own phone” to their network. NYTimes goes into the details more then I will, but why is this such a big deal? Verizon arguably has the strongest network. Though in a few years, I don’t think it will matter. Because of HDTV taking over the tv airwaves, the UHF spectrum being put up for auction and all the cell providers and companies such as Google are looking for their chunk.
ahumm…AOL/Time Warner, get off your ass and save your business maybe and bid as well? Remember, own the lines you provide service on. Ok, I worked there, I still own Time Warner stock too, worth about crap.
Verizon and others are actually wanting the new spectrum to be opened up for everyone, though I’m sure there will be a plenty of access fees still going around, an open network this is a good thing. With a larger and faster network being open, it means you can use whatever phone you want, just choose your provider, eventually they will all be pretty much the same anyway. I.E. what Verizon has preempted with their announcement today.
So how are cell phones changing in the next few years? The internet. That’s the biggest thing to happen to the phone call since, well, cell technology. People connect in more ways then a phone call now. I communicate through emails, IMs and the internet then I ever do on the phone. I depend on the internet for my own business. I literally couldn’t do business without being online. Why not do it anywhere instead of just in my house?
