3 ms·

You're probably correct about the subsidization, but the solution is to remove the monopolistic protections created by government regulations and infrastructure

by crusso 14y ago

You're probably correct about the subsidization, but the solution is to remove the monopolistic protections created by government regulations and infrastructure lock-in then let the telcos compete to see where that real price is.

eli 14y ago
Isn't loose regulation of the wireless industry the reason the US has completely incompatible CDMA and GSM networks competing with each other? IMHO the consumer would be much better off today if the government had stepped in and pushed everyone to one or the other.
- crusso 14y ago
  Nobody really cared about CDMA vs GSM. The market decided that issue with dollars of GSM vs CDMA with a resounding "meh". I mean, look what they did with Healthcare. So many things they could have addressed, but instead foisted a huge behemoth of a law unto consumers and businesses. For all you know, they might have selected TDMA because some congress critter writing the bill had a cousin who had a factory spitting out TDMA chips. Then we all would have been stuck long-term on inferior technology because some congressperson made a political decision. Give consumers choices. Let them decide what's important to them. While it sounds nice to have some benevolent Government helping to organize us and make important decisions, that's just not the way that history has shown it works.
  - eli 14y ago
    That's my point: nobody cared about CDMA vs GSM and now we're all worse off because of it. If we had all agreed on TDMA early on that would have been a bad call, but IMHO it would still be better. All those TDMA towers simply became GSM and UMTS towers. No one makes purchasing decisions based on compatibility, but if compatibility were enforced (just as AT&T is forced to allow you to dial a Verizon number), the market would be more competitive and the service would be better.

3 ms·

You're probably correct about the subsidization, but the solution is to remove the monopolistic protections created by government regulations and infrastructure

by crusso 14y ago

eli 14y ago
Isn't loose regulation of the wireless industry the reason the US has completely incompatible CDMA and GSM networks competing with each other? IMHO the consumer would be much better off today if the government had stepped in and pushed everyone to one or the other.
- crusso 14y ago
  Nobody really cared about CDMA vs GSM. The market decided that issue with dollars of GSM vs CDMA with a resounding "meh". I mean, look what they did with Healthcare. So many things they could have addressed, but instead foisted a huge behemoth of a law unto consumers and businesses. For all you know, they might have selected TDMA because some congress critter writing the bill had a cousin who had a factory spitting out TDMA chips. Then we all would have been stuck long-term on inferior technology because some congressperson made a political decision. Give consumers choices. Let them decide what's important to them. While it sounds nice to have some benevolent Government helping to organize us and make important decisions, that's just not the way that history has shown it works.
  - eli 14y ago
    That's my point: nobody cared about CDMA vs GSM and now we're all worse off because of it. If we had all agreed on TDMA early on that would have been a bad call, but IMHO it would still be better. All those TDMA towers simply became GSM and UMTS towers. No one makes purchasing decisions based on compatibility, but if compatibility were enforced (just as AT&T is forced to allow you to dial a Verizon number), the market would be more competitive and the service would be better.