Originating Author: David Floyer
The announcement of the iPhone has shown the extent that US cell-phone carriers have been one of the obstacles in getting effective access to data for users, and in the development of effective personal communication devices. Phone and PDA manufacturers have been frustrated for years by the stranglehold the carriers have had on innovation. The axis of innovation in this area has already strongly shifted to Asia in particular; just ask any recent newcomer from South Korea or Japan to rate the service in the US!
This control is reminiscent of AT&T's early rules that did not allow its customers to attach devices to its network, such as extension phones, answering machines, or paging devices. Forcing AT&T to produce a specification for attaching equipment to its network produced a flood of innovation that significantly reduced the cost and increased the functionality of telephone equipment. Today, a similar opening up of the cellular networks is essential to improve functionality and reduce costs.
Action item: US corporations, US vendors and the public should be putting strong pressure on congress to allow all equipment that meets specifications to attach to the network and ensure that all carriers do not control access to and use of data. The result of inaction will be to delay the introduction of new personal communication devices, threaten US participation in this market and negatively impact US productivity. CIOs should be actively explaining this to their boards.