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AT&T to Allow Skype and Google Voice to Operate on Its Mobile Network?
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I speculate that AT&T may be in material breach of the exclusivity agreement it has with Apple. Apple probably would not enter into a relationship with a cellular provider without being assured that the user experience would meet quality standards expected of Apple's products and services. Based upon the very limited 3G coverage and the constant complaints about AT&T that I see, if those standards exist, I don't think AT&T is meeting them.
If there is such an agreement, and if AT&T has breached it, Apple would have a way out of the exclusivity agreement, and AT&T will be doing everything they can to keep Apple from shopping the iPhone to other carriers.
If there is such an agreement, and if AT&T has breached it, Apple would have a way out of the exclusivity agreement, and AT&T will be doing everything they can to keep Apple from shopping the iPhone to other carriers.
Speaking of agreements, I noticed something while reading ATT's response to the FCC.
ATT stated that they were paying their "highest subsidy" ever for buyers of the iPhone. They also noted that allowing VoIP apps over 3G, could allow customers to have lower voice plans, which would cut into the bottom line necessary to allow those subsidies.
You can extrapolate the possible consequences from there...
ATT stated that they were paying their "highest subsidy" ever for buyers of the iPhone. They also noted that allowing VoIP apps over 3G, could allow customers to have lower voice plans, which would cut into the bottom line necessary to allow those subsidies.
You can extrapolate the possible consequences from there...
I use Vonage for VoIP. My employer provides GV-like shell over the top of that for my business # and voicemail. I use GV for my personal # and voicemail.
So if I could have a Vonage client and GV on my iPhone, I'd be all set. Heck, I'd be happy if I could just use those on WiFi networks and forward to my regular AT&T phone # when I'm out of WiFi coverage.
And if AT&T is so concerned about network congestion, they could give us Femtocell routers for free to allow our home network pipes to bear some of the load (until Comcast cries foul).
they would have to start placing the cameras on the front of the phones... like laptops... :/
Or European phones. Check out some of HTC's European lineup. Phones dating back to the Kaiser and possibly beyond have the front facing camera. The AT&T Tilt (US equivalent) did not
It's about a 2+ year build-out period for that $18B.
They committed a large sum last year and the year before that as well.
The $12B net profit is after infrastructure improvement. Since they have a roughly 20% gross margin in the corporation, that means 80% of gross covers expansion, labor, taxes, overhead, R&D, etc., etc.
The figure I find notable is this particular unit, wireless, is committing $18B this year to expansion and is receiving gross revenue of about that same figure, or less. For that to make sense with a 20% margin they clearly expect future revenue to provide a profit margin.
VoIP, tethering and Sling Player ought to kill that!
EDGE had/has a useful life of over 10 years. 3G is likely to almost get there. LTE (4G) is designed to morph over time so it is more akin to OSX with occasional software upgrades so the useful life gets closer to 15 years.
I have had houses far older than that. They didn't cost billions of dollars either. It takes chutzpah to invest in this industry.
Rocketman
http://www.slate.com/id/2231646/