Mossberg howls: "Free my Phone"

by Thomas Ricker, posted Oct 22nd 2007 at 5:30AM

Walt Mossberg -- arguably consumer electronics' single most feared and influential tech pundit -- just unleashed poetic fury on the carrier/government cartel which has made the US "the laughingstock of the mobile-technology world." In a glorious rant dubbed "Free My Phone," Walt compares carrier tactics to those of the old Soviet Ministry while pummeling the "shortsighted and often just plain stupid" federal government for allowing itself to be "bullied and fooled by a handful of big wireless phone operators." He draws further comparison to the innovation-stifling days of clumsy, black rotary phones locked to the monopolistic AT&T wires which once strangled our homes. Then, government interaction was required to break the hold; something Walt believes might be required today in lieu of a disruptive innovation. Now hit that read link and let the revolution begin!

Filed under: Misc

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, walt mossberg, WaltMossberg

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

thejfed @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:31AM

I actually JUST read this article in the WSJ before getting online. By far one of the best pieces of work I have read in a paper. I have been trying to tell people this for years but no one listens. I'm glad its going public to the national limelight. Maybe the sheep in this country will finally stand up!

Neutral

Omagus @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:19AM

Doubtful. It's been a long time since we Americans have lived up to our revolutionary origins.

Neutral

Mark @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:59AM

Can someone post the article?

Neutral

kinky-chinky @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:06PM

In the UK, I'm sure I've seen adverts from ISP's offering free laptops when you sign up to a contract with them. So what's the difference?

Buy a full priced computer and be able to switch ISP's easily or a free or subsidised computer tied to a time based contract.

I'm sure you can use any phone on any network if the hardware is compatible and you have the right settings. An example is Orange UK who test mobile phones on their network thouroughly, yet I have used mobile phones not approved by them on their network and others. So yes the networks can dictate what they sell to the consumer, but you can still use a non sanctioned phone on their networks if you know the correct settings and it is hardware compatible.

Neutral

tjjjjj @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:09PM

i am doubtful too, like someone said.. our govermenst is run by large corporations. at least, half true...

Neutral

Mark @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:40PM

Here's his article: http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20071021/free-my-phone/

Neutral

Al @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:25PM

How can this guy be so influential and completely miss the fact that the open system he's so desperate for is offered by Nokia?

You can buy phones unlocked from Nokia. You can buy software straight from the vendor instead of through the carriers. You're free to use whatever ringtones you want without paying for them.

I just want my carrier to offer better plans and cheaper data. That's all I want from my carrier and they can't offer it.

Verizon is evil in all aspects.
Sprint SERO is awesome, but you cant bring your own phone.
at&t is expensive.
t-mobile is kinda cheap, but the data is slow.

I wish I could move to Japan or England.

Neutral

NuShrike @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:10PM

Exactly, you can buy unlocked phones straight from the vendor, such as the shiny HTC Kaiser.

It'll save you money in the long run because you're not forced into a plan the carrier thinks is best for your "device" in order to get the lower "subsidized" price.

It's a global economy now so vote with your wallet, instead of wasting your time with USA stupidity.

Neutral

TMOBin @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:23PM

This article fails to mention that the American Consumer demands discounts on phones. If you want a discount on a phone, you must abide by our policies. The only way for the cell phone industry to "free" their phones would be to charge FULL price for our phones, which nobody wants to pay. People really should get their facts straight before they start to question why our policies are in place. If we discount your phone by $250 and you cancel in a month, then we lost a ton of money. Heck, even some cable companies require a 6 month or 12 month contract to sign up. Most cell phone companies will allow you to sign a 12 month contract if you provide your own phone. If you want this to change, stop asking for free/discounted phone because we will not discount if contract policies were forced to change. If you want to compare cell phones to computers, put it like this: Branded phones are more like Macs and Unbranded phones are like pc's. Macs have compatibility issues with more software than PC's, however, macs are easier to use and have less problems (much like branded phones). PC's are not as user-friendly, but have more compatible software, along with more problems like any machinery (much like unbranded phones). A branded phone can be reflashed, just like a PC can be formatted and loaded with a new OS. So how is it that carriers are bullying the US Government? If anything, the government is bullying the carriers by implimenting unfair policies to satisfy the consumer(which usually wants things that they don't want to pay for).

Neutral

tnkgrl @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:31PM

Oh yes, tell me why I can't sign up for a quality month-to-month plan without a contract or an early termination fee when I bring my own unlocked device to the table! And no, I don't want crappy pays-as-you-go.

"Macs have compatibility issues with more software than PC's, however, macs are easier to use and have less problems (much like branded phones)."

You lost all your credibility right there (if not sooner)... Branded phones, easier to use? Please. Macs have compatibility issues? WTF.

Neutral

Ypoknons @ Oct 22nd 2007 6:16PM

People all over the world pay full price for phones, and have greater choice for it.

Neutral

!!! @ Oct 23rd 2007 1:20PM

America is another world, you forget. A world where you can sue if a product drops in price.

Neutral

Mehool @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:59PM

I for one like having my phones heavily subsidized. Sure it may mean i have to buy a verizon CDMA phone, but I'm ok with that. I don't plan to be jumping around from carrier to carrier looking for the latest and greatest deal/phone and I think most of America feels the same way.

We gadget lovers enjoy going for the latest and greatest as soon as it's released but we're in the minority. Comparing the state of the cell industry to the days of AT&Ts monopoly is extreme, and yes I understand he's trying to make a point.

Neutral

trooth @ Oct 27th 2007 5:21PM

Macs dont have compatibility issues? Apples choice to keep the Mac proprietary for
20 years held that company in check and almost in bankruptcy for the
vast majority of their existence. Do yourself a favor and go to
computer store. Walk the shelves of PC software, now go over and
walk the shelf for Mac software. Check out the shelves for PC
hardware. Now check out the shelf for Mac hardware. Point made?
Apple has done a lot of things to open up the Mac in the past 5 years
and they are reaping the rewards for finally opening up their system
at least by offering an emulator and using intel processors instead
of the RISC processors. But make no mistake, Apple loves proprietary
software/hardware and closed systems. Look at the IPhone and tell me
that is an open system, shoot try and replace the battery of your
IPod.