[IP] Re: AT&T flings cellphone network wide open

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: ktneely@astroturfgarden.com [mailto:ktneely@astroturfgarden.com] 
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 9:50 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] AT&T flings cellphone network wide open


All the comments regarding this article seem to focus on one thing: "this is non-news because I could already bring an unlocked phone to ATT's network".  I am sure everyone on this list knew that already, and probably a majority are actually using an unlocked phone that is not co-branded by their service provider.  However, I would wager that the vast majority of mobile phone users have no idea that this limitation on their phones is superficial and could be trivially removed. 

So this anouncement -in that the announcement educates and will raise questions from people who have never thought about this before- is a good thing.

What I found newsworthy from the synopsis of the article was the statement "And they don't have to sign a contract."  I just added myself to my parents' plan and this is exactly what I wanted to do:  use my own phone and not sign into a contract.  This was an impossible task two weeks ago, but perhaps this announcment and non-change to the operation of the network, but real change to the way in which ATT is presenting their network will make that possible.

Kevin

On Fri, Dec 07, 2007 at 08:31:07AM -0500, David Farber wrote:
> 
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Einar Vollset <einar.vollset@gmail.com>
> Date: December 7, 2007 8:29:28 AM EST
> To: "<dave@farber.net>" <dave@farber.net>
> Subject: Re: [IP] AT&T flings cellphone network wide open
> 
> 
> Dave,
> 
> this is non news, in so far as AT&T (and cingular before them) has  
> always allowed any GSM phone to make calls on their network; my  
> unlocked iPhone runs with an old cingular pay as you go sim on their  
> network quite happilly for example.
> 
> Indeed, I don't see how foreign visitors could have used their cell  
> phones at all in the US if this wasn't already the case.
> 
> The real news is that the word "open" now appears to be the buzzword  
> of the  day, perhaps soon we'll hear Time Warner tout how open their  
> cable network is: "you can use any tv you like you know"
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Einar
> 
> ---
> http://vollset.org
> 
> 
> On Dec 7, 2007, at 6:57 AM, David Farber <dave@farber.net> wrote:
> 
> >At long last. Interesting what Hill attention can bring. BTW T- 
> >mobile has always done this. djf
> >
> >Begin forwarded message:
> >
> >From: dewayne@warpspeed.com (Dewayne Hendricks)
> >Date: December 6, 2007 4:08:07 PM EST
> >To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy@warpspeed.com>
> >Subject: [Dewayne-Net] AT&T flings cellphone network wide open
> >
> >AT&T flings cellphone network wide open
> >USA Today
> >By Leslie Cauley
> >
> >Starting immediately, AT&T (T) customers can ditch their AT&T phones  
> >and use any wireless phone, device and software application from any  
> >maker — think smartphones, e-mail and music downloading. And they  
> >don't have to sign a contract.
> >"You can use any handset on our network you want," says Ralph de la  
> >Vega, CEO of AT&T's wireless business. "We don't prohibit it, or  
> >even police it."
> >
> >AT&T's push to give consumers maximum control of their wireless  
> >worlds is being driven, in part, by Google. The tech giant is a  
> >monster in the Internet search business for personal computers, and  
> >is hoping to replicate that success in the wireless market.
> >
> ><http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2007-12-05- 
> >att_N.htm>
> >
> >-------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------

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