To the OP, if you think you'll get any serious discussion about this topic on here good luck. You'll get jokes and the same old tired BS: "Don't give them your money!". I already had a thread on this.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1796527/
The problem is that there is effectively hardly any choice for consumers when it comes to mobile carriers in many countries. It's always 3 or 4 choices (slightly more in some places). This is an industry that will never be in a perfect state of competition because of the nature of the business. That is, wireless spectrum throughout a country must be leased out to the incumbents. The barriers to entry are huge which is what makes it a dessert for competition.
The problem is that the industry almost wants to be public in a way. I'm for privatization and capitalism, but the government is so intertwined in wireless communications because of the wireless spectrum within a country and the requirement for companies to use such spectrum to provide cell service.
I also think that communications, like health, is more of a right than a privilege. Everybody should be connected. That includes people who have little money. The fact that a typical cell plan that gives a user some freedom to talk, text, and surf pushes $80 per month (still limited)... and all of the little things cell carriers charge consumers for adds up... it's expensive to run a cell phone. It's like we haven't made any progress: the cost to run cell phones today aren't really any better than they were 15-20 years ago.
Sure, we have better features like text messages and multi-touch, but the expense is as high as ever. And the cost of mobile phones themselves is insane: a 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus almost costs as much outright as an entry iMac desktop computer.
It seems like just yesterday we were reading about iPhone first Gen. users back in the day getting boxes sent to them from AT&T which included their 1 month bill. Bills that pushed $16,000 or more in one month. That's because of roaming. And this stuff still exists today.
Well, the lid has already been blown off the farce that is roaming. Look to Canada for wireless innovation. The government here has stepped in and began breaking up what consumers have been demanding: unfair profiteering. For instance, the CAN government has made it much cheaper for customers of WIND to roam on other networks through much needed regulation and new policies. It's several times cheaper for consumers now. They looked at it and realized consumers were getting raped and also consumers pressured them.
There's much work to be done.
