We used to have (and still kind of have?) carrier billing for receiving assets such as ring tones but also paid web content via MMS for small money, even though

We used to have (and still kind of have?) carrier billing for receiving assets such as ring tones but also paid web content via MMS for small money, even though the powers-that-be in the mobile space have worked hard to establish verticals and subscriptions without micro-transactions. Also "we" (as in "hackers") have now for I don't know how long seen greedy telcos as our natural enemy, embracing supposedly open TCP/IP-based protocols, and turning a blind eye towards new monopolies, even though telcos live in a highly regulated market while new monopolists do not.