Cellphone Rant

I hate cellphone companies.

& I'm not the only one - check out Free My Phone.

They are the epitome of what US Corporations wish to become: big enough to be a de-facto monopoly, meaning they do not have to listen to their clientele, especially those that exhibit 4 more synapses than a salamander.

If I don't like it, go somewhere else, you suggest?

First, you sound like a Republican, the kind which fully accepts socialized [i.e. federally funded] military not to mention federal bail-outs of insurance mega-corps, banks, & US car manufacturers. But somehow single-payer health care for everyone is the worst thing in the world.

Oh yeah, I know who you are...

Ok, show me a major cellphone company that does business any differently. To be fair, de-facto monopolies rule the petroleum industry, aircraft industry, drug industry, & parts of the food industry - why should I pick on the poor little cellphone companies? Competition eliminating mergers are taking place every month, it's the American way. Verizon wants to absorb Alltel - hey, why not, competition won't suffer, not one bit.

I won't believe that for a heartbeat...

But, I digress...

Here's a few things I want in my cellphone:

1. I want to manage a contact list in my cellphone using my home computer.

   Verizon has blocked this feature in every cellphone I have owned, & I know of no major carrier that's different. Yes, I have hacked my cellphones to unblock certain features blocked by Verizon, but my Motorola Razr V3m still doesn't let me manipulate its contact list.

2. I want my cellphone to include wifi.

   iPhone does it, why don't any of the others?

3. I want my cellphone to include web access without extra cost.

   I never use all my monthly minutes - my web access should be charged against those.

   A colleague recently returned from Europe tells me he accessed the web for about €1.40 per day, & only on the days he wanted to! His choice, not a flat fee whether he used it or not.

   Fee for service, what a novel idea...

4. I want my cellphone fully functional in all the features its manufacturer designed & marketed.

   Well, duh!

Why cannot/will not Verizon et.al. accommodate me?

I'll tell you - because Verizon already knows AT&T won't, Sprint won't, T-Mobile won't,...in all probability it's a CEO handshake kind of deal, you know - "I won't if you won't nudge nudge wink wink..."

Here are some links to interesting reading:

Pogue @ New York Times - The Irksome Cellphone Industry

Pogue @ New York Times - 'Take Back the Beep' Campaign

Pogue @ New York Times - The Cellphone Industry Strikes Back

Verizon Strikes Back - including 'The Letter'

About 'The Letter': not one of Pogue's points are addressed. It's a propaganda piece. I'll bet dollars to donuts what's-his-toes didn't write it himself, either. & why wasn't the letter written to Pogue, or to letters-to-the-editor? Why was it written to Pogue's publisher? Is this some kind of thinly veiled way of trying to get Pogue fired? Kill the messenger?

I think so...

Andy Kessler @ Wall Street Journal - Why AT&T Killed Google Voice (on the iPhone)