The PhoneBoy Blog » connectivity

John C. Dvorak’s Mothers Day Comcast Nightmare

PhoneBoy — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:15:00 +0000

There are a couple of salient points brought up by columnist John C. Dvorak in his latest piece entitled My Mothers Day Comcast Nightmare, where he recounts his issues with his Internet connection on Sunday:

I had tweeted this problem earlier on Twitter and found out that Comcast seems to have given up on its effective social media program, as Comcast Bonnie was no longer working there. She relied to me that “they got rid of me.” She was great at what she did, but I’ve seen this sort of thing before. A company has person doing great and important work, and it fires her because some bonehead at the company couldn’t monetize it. Apparently, it values bad PR instead like this. Accountants will eventually ruin all American business.

This is the tricky thing about “social media.”We know it’s good, but it’s hard to quantify exactly how good. When times get rough, it gets paired back or, in the cast of Comcast Bonnie, “eliminated.”

Unfortunately, human beings remember these bad experiences and use them as a basis to make decisions about which services to use in the future. Unfortunately, cable is the only real choice for most people so Comcast can pretty much take on the whole “we don’t care, we don’t have to” mentality on these things.

So I scheduled the service guy to come on Tuesday and just figure I’d limp along at analog modem speeds. In the process, I checked by email and saw a note from one of the editors of my blog, Sergio Gasparrini, who apparently listened to the podcast—from Europe—and suggested that Mother’s Day Skype calls may have been the culprit. I thought this was laughable until mid afternoon when my speeds began to increase by the hour.

By 9 p.m. on Sunday, the speed had ratcheted back up from 1 Mbps around 5 p.m. to 3 Mbps and then increased to 4 Mbps to 9 Mbps to 11 Mbps. It was like clockwork. As I write this, the system has been restored to full speed by itself.

This seems plausible, but only barely. Skype and other Voice over IP tools do not require a lot of bandwidth. It does require low latency, though. The only possible explanation here would be if there were a significant number of video calls–which require both high bandwidth and low latency.

In any case, this is definitely something I remember growing up on the Bell System. Mothers Day was always a big calling day. “All circuits are busy” messages were pretty common. What scares me is how quickly we all forget…

Comments

10 May 2011, ComcastBill writes: I think if you’re going to write a blog post about a Comcast issue and apparently Comcast not responding via Twitter you may want to get all the facts right. Sunday was Mother's Day and as a social media team we support this day as a normal Sunday and have staffing. We reach out as fast as we can and usually within minutes. This Tweet was no different on response time. After the @THErealDVORAK tweeted he was having a Comcast issue he was replied to with an offer to help. All of Sunday and still to this day there has been no response to the offer. We are a social media team not just one person and most of this team have been around since day 1, and we will continue to support our customers on the platform there comfortable in. Below are the Tweet responses to @THErealDVORAK so you can see the time stamps. @THErealDVORAK what can i help with? 1:15 PM May 8th via TweetDeck @THErealDVORAK send me account phone number and ill take a look for you 1:20 PM May 8th via TweetDeck
10 May 2011, PhoneBoy writes: Thanks for providing the other side of the story ComcastBill.

This work originally came from The PhoneBoy Blog and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Fingerprint: e37ac627f3d973694c212ff9430d215a

Speaking IPv6

PhoneBoy — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:03:52 +0000

IPv6 is the next generation of IP–the protocol by which most of our computers, phones, and other related devices talk to each other and to the Internet. Today, everything generally talks using IPv4, which has a 32-bit address space, or roughly 4 billion possible addresses. Both because of the sheer number of devices and the number of “reserved” addresses within the IPv4 space, the number of globally available IP addresses is running out.

To put it in perspective, as I write this, there is still a few /8 addresses unallocated by the IANA, which are distributed to regional registries, which are then responsible for distributing the IPs to ISPs, whom in turn distribute them to you. A /8, in IPv4, is 16,777,216 IP addresses. That seems like a lot of addresses, until you realize that, depending on how those IPs are allocated, the number of usable IPs ends up being a bit less.

Even so, once IANA runs out of /8s, the individual registries and ISPs still likely have caches of IPv4 addresses. The problem of address space exhaustion probably won’t show any acute symptoms immediately, but the lack of IPv4 addresses (and the lack of wide deployment of IPv6) will start causing problems soon, creating pockets of servers that can only be accessed by one protocol or another.

We’ve actually been working around the problem of address exhaustion in the IPv4 space for some time now using network address translation. That router you get from your local consumer electronics store has been masquerading all of your computers behind a single, public IP address, providing you both a level of protection and connectivity.

Enterprises do much the same thing, except their boxes are significantly larger and they also might provide services accessible on the Internet, which means: they need more than one public IP. Also, some enterprises have so many connected systems that they have, quite literally, run out of available private IP addresses (some IPs in the IPv4 space are set aside explicitly for private, non-Internet connected use).

In any case, the pressure is mounting to switch to IPv6. Given that some of my customers are asking about IPv6, I figured I’d get myself educated. I happen to have access to one of the people who helped define the IPv6 standards in the IETF (he works at Check Point), but there’s really no better way to learn about it than to just get it set up.

Of course, part of the problem right now is that my ISPs at home (Comcast, CenturyLink) are still serving me IPv4 addresses. Fortunately, there are ways of tunneling over IPv4 to the IPv6 networks. One such service is TunnelBroker, run by the folks at Hurricane Electric. They tunnel IPv6 packets inside of IPv4 packets (more specifically using IP Protocol 41, designed for this purpose).

I had it working on an old Linksys router I had flashed with TomatoUSB and hacked a bit. I had IPv6 flowing through my network and was able to reach a few sites over IPv6. Then I had the realization that I was no longer protected by my router. I was now directly reachable–without a firewall! While I could fix that, I think that’s enough experimentation for now.

I guess the point is: I can make it work today. However, few people are going to want to do what I had to go through to make it work. Every hop in the network has to be IPv6 friendly and IPv6 enabled. For the home user, it’s going to have to be as simple as plugging in a router. We’ll get there, but it’s going to be a bumpy ride for the next few years.

Comments

20 February 2011, A. T. writes: when I noticed Hurricane Electric mentioned, immediately I recalled "Running IPv6 in practice" http://www.debian-administration.org/article/Running_IPv6_in_practice ... could be great if you tag all your IPv6 posts with particular tag ;)
20 February 2011, PhoneBoy writes: I was thinking about doing that anyway, thanks for reminding me!

Why Limited Data Plans Are Doomed To Fail

PhoneBoy — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:21:40 +0000

I was reading a study from Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies about smartphones and mobile data plans (warning: PDF link). While people are really interested in smartphones, people aren’t really thinking about the data plans that go with them.

The operators (at least ones in North America) like to sell things in buckets. A certain number of text messages. A certain number of voice minutes. Mere mortal understand these things and can make rational decisions about how many of each they want.

Data is different. It used to be that most of the US operators sold it “unlimited” (or at least unmetered). Now they are making it more like the voice and text messages: a certain amount of megabytes (or gigabytes).

Many people likely to read this blog post have a vague idea of what a megabyte or gigabyte represents. The unwashed masses, however, have no clue what any of this means, nor do they want to. They just want to do their thing.

AT&T, to their credit, has a Data Calculator on their web site that will allow you to estimate how much data you need to purchase, given various activities on your mobile phone.

It’s still way too complex. To me, the correct answer is simple: tier it the way cable operators do. By the amount of speed you’re supposed to get. That’s not a perfect way, either, especially given how some complain about not getting their top speed. I’m sure there will be a lot more of those kind of complaints on mobile broadband.

It is, however, something non-technical people can wrap their head around and operators can easily differentiate. Without complicated “calculators.” Until data plans are based on something people can actually understand, the value is clearly understood, and the prices are more reasonable, people aren’t going to buy.

Comments

24 October 2010, tom writes: i agree completely that tiers based on speed not consumption is the only answer acceptable to consumers. but would it do anything to actually reduce total usage? or would users just wait longer but download just as much? the bigger issue is that the network are not built the way they need to be. i read a lot about offloading users to wifi being the answer. but wifi is not any more efficient than tiny mircocells, picocells or whatever the latest tiny cell tower is called. also increasingly wifi hotspots will be MIFIs or tethering connections that loop right back to the cell network. what is needed is for the telephone(and CATV) junction boxes on the street(and even inside large buildings) to be converted into small area cell towers and/or subscription WIFI.) that is the only answer that will bring the capacity needed to make all internet connections wireless, which at the end of the day is what most consumers are expecting and want.
25 October 2010, PhoneBoy writes: It will at least spread out the data usage. I would also be for putting in a micro cell in my house--if I didn't have to pay extra for the privilege!
26 October 2010, tom writes: i want the mirco cell not in my house but right outside my house where the PSTN junction box is. i want it paid for and maintained by the phone company. normally i am not for merging already big companies. but perhaps unifying the land line and cellular parts of companies like AT&T and Verizon is what would be needed to make this sort of thing happen.
26 October 2010, PhoneBoy writes: That would only work where the phone company and the wireless company are the same. My home phone is provided by CenturyLink, which does not have a wireless operator. What about people who have AT&T phone service and want to use Verizon wireless?
26 October 2010, tom writes: the fact is that wired landlines are rapidly disappearing and people want fast wireless everywhere. its time for a sort of merging where the landline infrastructure is used to power small but high capacity wireless base stations. the technology (WIFI or 3G/4G) is not the important thing. what i see us eventually moving too is a single wireless provider for everything. for the example you mention Verizon needs to deploy enough small base stations that the need for AT&T disappears. i differ from the point of view that wireless can never completely replace wired for internet. but the only way to do it is with tiny base stations all over the place.
26 October 2010, PhoneBoy writes: I just hope the tech to provide fast wireless broadband catches up with what is possible with landlines. I suppose with lots of small access points that becomes feasible, but the networking necessary to accomplish that at, say, 60mph, is pretty hairy :)
27 October 2010, tom writes: one thing i am watching closely is what the cable companies are doing in places like new york. they are starting top deploy WIFI on a broad scale. but what i want to see eventually is a single unified network that has the capacity of small sites but also the wide area coverage that require the current type of cell tower.
27 October 2010, PhoneBoy writes: The white spaces initiative will be interesting to watch. Wonder what sort of cool technologies people invent that provide both wide coverage and high bandwidth.
27 October 2010, tom writes: the dilemma with white spaces is that we have lots of unused spectrum where there are few people, and limited available spectrum where people live in major cities. but any additional unlicensed spectrum is always a good thing.

Prepaid Mobile Data Getting More Affordable in the US?

PhoneBoy — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:28:09 +0000

While the prices aren’t exactly where I’d like them to be, it appears the major US mobile operators are finally starting to get a clue about mobile data services and are at least offering something approaching reasonable. I realize there are some resellers where you might be able to get slightly better deals than these.

T-Mobile

On their “Pay As You Go” prepaid plan, you have a couple of options: a Web day pass for $1.49/day, or the ability to buy a 100MB, 300MB, or 1GB chunk of data for $10, $30, and $50 respectively (good for 10, 30, and 30 days respectively). Depending on what they restrict you to, the web day pass might be the most cost-effective option. You can also get prepaid monthly voice plans that include data–also a bonus.

You can also buy a USB broadband device and use the data service on a prepaid basis.

Sprint

Sprint offers prepaid service under both the Virgin Mobile USA and Boost Mobile brand. Virgin Mobile USA includes “unlimited web” in their $25/mo rate plan, which also includes unlimited text and 300 minutes of voice. When you pair this with the Samsung Intercept they sell, this actually becomes a rather compelling offering. Or if you want to use a Blackberry device, add $10/mo.

If you don’t want to be tied to a handset $40/mo will get you unlimited data using a USB Broadband or Mifi device.

Boost Mobile has less compelling devices. They have monthly plans that include unlimited web. On the Pay-as-you-go variety, they offer unlimited web for $0.35/day. Of course, would you want to use the web on one of those phones?

AT&T

AT&T has loosened up somewhat with the prepaid data, but not too much. You can get a $75/mo unlimited prepaid voice/text plan that comes with 200MB of data. For their Pay as you Go plan (what they now call their Simple Rate Plan), you can get 100 MB of data for $19.99 (per 30 days).

For data cards, you can either get 200MB of data for $35 or 5GB of data for $60. Both are good for 30 days.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the stingiest of the operators when it comes to prepaid data. On their prepaid monthly plans–which are far more pricey than the competition–you can add data for $30/mo. The pay-as-you-go plans don’t offer data that I can see.

For data cards, you can get anywhere from 100 MB for $10 (good for 1 day) to 5GB for $80 (good for 30 days). Definitely the worst deal of the four major carriers.

Conclusions

It’s nice to see that the mobile operators are coming down on their prepaid data prices. That said, they are still too expensive compared to some other countries. Hopefully the “vibrant competition” the CTIA says our market has will continue to push the prices downward.

A Third Way on the Net Neutrality Debate

PhoneBoy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:36:21 +0000

Every time I see an article on Net Neutrality, I cringe. Mostly because it’s the same old arguments repeated over and over again. The pro-net neutrality types are concerned that some content will be preferred over others and that you’ll have to pay more money for less choices, less bandwidth, and less content choices as providers will have to “pay” for preferential treatment. There are plenty of pro net-neutrality pieces, including one in USA Today.

The anti-net neutrality types–mobile network operators–say “their network is different.” In order to provide the best quality of service for everyone, they say, they need to have the freedom to manage a scarce resource. Net neutrality rules would prevent that. Again, there are plenty of anti net-neutrality rhetoric out there, including a piece in USA Today written by Steve Largent, President of the CTIA (otherwise known as the lobbying firm for the US mobile network operators).

I agree with both sides. Unlike what the staunch pro-net neutrality advocates say, wireless is actually different. It’s not just a lack of speeds-and-feeds argument, either. The typical mobile phone network offers three very distinct services:

Voice (including 911)
SMS (short text messages)
Data (also includes MMS or Picture messaging)

While you can have calls over the Internet with Skype or what have you, generally speaking people use their landline Internet for other purposes. There’s also a lot more bandwidth to work with, and the calls are all IP-based, so there is, quite frankly, less need to manage it.

In the wireless world, all three uses are effectively vying for use of the same spectrum and backhaul. In addition, you are combining both packet-based and circuit-switched communications, both of which operate fundamentally differently. Data connections can generally tolerate some temporary congestion issues. SMS, which was designed to operate on idle call control signaling paths, can be delayed. In-progress circuit-switched phone calls cannot.

When there is bandwidth contention in a cell site (i.e. more bandwidth is needed than is available), what happens? Does everyone on that cell site suffer? Who’s phone call or data connection will get dropped when a 911 call comes in, which are generally prioritized over other traffic for obvious reasons? Also, how do you handle when a cell site goes from needing lots of voice traffic to needing lots of data traffic and vice versa?

There’s really no easy answer to this question. Perhaps what is needed is a standard set of network management principles for mobile network operators that would be clearly described as part of the service provider’s terms of service. This way, everyone understands what is prioritized in what circumstances.

Regardless of how things are prioritized, though, at any given point, some amount of bandwidth at a cell site will be available for mobile data use. This bandwidth–however much there is–must be treated in a net neutral way. Without question. Wireless operators should not be granted a complete pass on net neutrality, therefore, but the regulations do need to take into account the multi-use nature of wireless networks.

Jon Stewart Puts The Net Neutrality War In Perspective (crunchgear.com)
Net Neutrality Is Neutral: AT&T Says Wireless Internet Access Is Different Than Wired Internet Access. Yes, We Know, But That’s Not The Point At All. (techcrunch.com)
Net Neutrality Groups Plan Protest At Google Headquarters (huffingtonpost.com)
Net Neutrality, Banned Business Models & Price Controls (pff.org)
Reporters’ Roundtable: Net neutrality (cnet.com)

Comments

20 August 2010, 15 Facts About Net Neutrality | Tech the Plunge writes: [...] A Third Way on the Net Neutrality Debate (phoneboy.com) [...]

A Tale of Three Mobile Operating Systems

PhoneBoy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:37:57 +0000

I’ve used my mobile phones under unusual circumstances, at least for me. Mostly I was in areas where connectivity was nearly non-existant (Northern Alabama) or insanely expensive (traveling outside the US). Based on that, I have some interesting observations about three different operating systems: Symbian (at least as it exists on the US version of the E71), Apple iOS 4, and Android 2.1 on a Nexus One.

The iPhone

When I am traveling abroad, my iPhone is little more than an iPod touch. Unfortunately, my iPhone is locked to AT&T and I can’t use another SIM card in it. Despite the recent announcements from the US copyright office that unlocking your iPhone is illegal, Apple or AT&T refuse to unlock my iPhone. Unless it comes from one of those sources, there is no hope that whatever unlock I use–free or otherwise–will stick in the long term. It’s not something I want to mess with.

When I was in Northern Alabama, data connectivity was EDGE–somewhat expected when you get north of Birmingham and into less populated areas. However, the connectivity speeds were even slower than I would expect for EDGE. In the cabin where we were staying I almost had no signal at all! Whenever I tried to use my iPhone at all, data was excessively slow and most of the applications, be they ones built into the iPhone or ones I purchased from the App Store, pretty much gave up. This pretty much meant that the phone was mostly an iPod Touch.

Android with Nexus One

While I was in Northern Alabama, I had a Nexus One with me also. It seemed from my limited testing that the Nexus One was getting somewhat better reception than the iPhone. It also seemed to be a bit persistent on data connectivity than the iPhone was.

The upshot of this, along with the fact that Android allows applications to run in the background, meant that I was able to actually use the Nexus One even in these limited data connectivity situations. Podcasts would happily download in the background whenever there was data connectivity (using Google Listen), Twidroyd would happily refresh my Twitter timeline in the background, and I could periodically peek at my email. It wasn’t always realtime, but it was good enough. I even updated a few apps while I was in the sticks.

Unfortunately, because of the weak signal in the area we were, the battery drained on the Nexus One even faster than normal. This meant the phone pretty much lived on a charger most of the time.

In terms of UI, Android 2.1 is close to the iPhone. Unfortunately, apps are (at least in the areas I care about) not as plentiful as on the iPhone. The lack of a Skype client is a problem. While it’s not something I use that often, when I do, I need it.

The Nokia E71 and Symbian

Unfortunately, for the reason I liked Android in Northern Alabama, I dared not ever configure GSM or 3G connectivity on the Nexus One when I was in Europe in June. I had data connectivity thanks to the various global SIM cards I was carrying, but data connectivity was not cheap. I couldn’t use the iPhone, of course, so I was left with my tried and true platform: Symbian on the Nokia E71.

The normal incessant prompt for each data connection that I hate on Symbian actually comes in handy when you don’t have an unlimited data plan. First of all, you know when the phone is connecting somewhere because it prompts you. Second, as long as you use careful with the apps you use, you can make far better use of a scarse, expensive resource

Unfortunately, being that Symbian (and Nokia) doesn’t have a lot of market share in the US, Symbian lacks a lot of the cool apps that are available on my iPhone or Symbian, though there is a Skype client for it. My favorite and most used app by far is Gravity on Symbian, which is as good or better than any similar app on the iPhone or Android. This one app takes care of all of my social media needs as it supports Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Google Reader. It also supports status.net, though I don’t use that feature.

Conclusions

The reality is, a single phone does not currently meet all of my needs. The iPhone would likely be closest, but AT&T seems “unable” to unlock the iPhone–even though it is well documented that Apple has an official way to do this.

When I travel, I ultimately end up taking more than one phone in hopes that one of them will work optimally in the conditions I find myself in. While I’m sure the mobile phone manufacturers love this, I don’t. I really don’t want to carry so many phones with me. I just want to carry ONE phone. Is that too much to ask?

Looking at Global SIM Cards

PhoneBoy — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:04:40 +0000

I’ve spent the last several days in the Benelux region of Europe and have a week or so in Israel ahead of me. Seems like a perfect time to test the three Global Roaming SIMs I have: from MAXroam, Truphone Local Anywhere, and Roam Mobility.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I was supplied the SIM by the company gratis with some amount of credit. The free credit on my MAXRoam SIM expired (as they sent me the SIM a while ago), so I paid 25 EUR to put some credit on it.

This post will compare the following features: Making and Receiving Calls, Text Messaging, Data, and Voicemail.

Receiving Calls

With all the global SIM cards out there, receiving calls works more or less as you expect. MAXroam provides a Belgium inbound DID, but also provides inbound numbers in other countries for a nominal monthly fee. Roam Mobility provides both a US and a UK DID number. Truphone will provide a either a US or UK number, but you can have both at extra cost. Truphone and MAXroam charge a per-minute fee for inbound calls with MaxRoam having the better rate in the EU and Israel.

Roam Mobility is unique in that it provides inbound calls for free in 65 countries (including Israel, but not Belgium for some reason). However, it requires an annual free of $25 a year to maintain your number. In countries where they do not offer free inbound calls, their inbound call rates are higher than either MAXroam or Truphone. If callers call your US number, the inbound call rate increases by $0.25/min, even in the “Free” countries.

Making Calls

Truphone offers the most natural of calling experiences, allowing you (in many countries) to dial as normal (provided your normal dialing patterns includes full international dialing, starting with + country code). In some countries, they have an “economy callback” rate which allows you to place a call and have it call you back instead, making the call somewhat cheaper. If this is an option, you will get an SMS when you land in that country letting you know.

Roam Mobility always requires a unique dialing method (starting the number with a * and ending with a #). You then receive a callback from the system. This makes Roam Mobility the least user-friendly of the services I tried.

MAXroam has the best compromise: you dial normally (again full international number with + sign). The system does not complete the call, but you immediately get a call back.

The rates for making calls vary by provider, but in all cases, it is somewhere between roaming rates on AT&T and a local SIM. Not the cheapest call you can make for sure, but if you absolutely have to make a call, it won’t completely break the bank.

Text Messaging

Thankfully, all of these providers offer SMS that functions the normal way (i.e. you text normally). Where these services differ are rates. Thankfully, in the EU and Israel, all the services offer free inbound SMS. The difference is in outbound rates. Roam Mobility charges a $0.75 a message, which is even more usurious than AT&T’s roaming rate of $0.50. In the EU, Truphone’s rate of $0.16 wins hands down, though their rate jumps to $0.56 a message in Israel. MAXroam charges 0.32 EUR per message in both the EU and Israel, which is still better than AT&T’s roaming rates.

One advantage that MAXroam has over the others is they offer the ability to send texts for 0.05 EUR over their website. The texts originate from your MAXroam SMS number and is handy in places where you have WiFi access to the Internet. This is an extremely handy feature! I only wish that feature had a more mobile-friendly web interface!

Data Service

Roam Mobility currently does not provide data service (even though they told me months ago it was coming). Truphone and MAXroam both provide data service, though the service needs to be manually configured into the device. Both services charge in 100k increments, with Truphone appearing to have an edge pricing-wise.

Both services data offerings are generally much cheaper than roaming service provided by AT&T. I tested the service in a Nokia N95-1 and got 3G service on both Truphone and MAXroam (depending on area). I used the mobile Twitter website to send out a brief tweet, as well as some more extended usage on Gravity and the built-in web browser. It worked exactly as expected.

Local Service

One unique feature that Truphone has that the others do not is “local” rates for the US and UK markets (they are adding other markets soon). This means, while you are in the US or UK (depending on the SIM type you chose) you get similar rates to what you’d get if you had a prepaid GSM plan with a local provider (in my case, AT&T or T-Mobile). The idea is that this could be your only SIM card you use everywhere. At least in the US market, The rates are “in the same ballpark” but I can get cheaper per-minute (and per-text) rates with either provider. You do get less usurious per-MB data costs, though.

Voicemail

All of the services provide voicemail, but you are required to dial from your phone in order to retrieve the voicemail, which can be expensive. Roam Mobility does not offer personalized voicemail (which is a huge fail, IMHO), but both Truphone and MAXroam offer the ability to customize your voicemail greeting.

Conclusions

Honestly, there is no clear winner here. All of the services do what they say on the tin, but none of them have the right mix of usability, features, and pricing for my needs. I ended up using both Truphone and MAXroam for different functions. Look at the services carefully to ensure you understand the pricing for your particular situation and usage patterns.

Meanwhile, the Holy Grail is coming. While I was in Europe, I used a different roaming SIM card that provided a completely natural usage experience (normal dialing, no callbacks) with SMS and full 3G support. The product is still undergoing testing and pricing is not available yet, but I have no doubt that it will be as good or better than current offerings out there.

Comments

23 June 2010, Ben writes: I would have to agree with your conclusions. You sum it up best saying there is no good mixture of usability, pricing, and features. I would like to try out that Holy Grail SIM card you used in Europe. When I recently was in China I had to only resort to Skype video catting, which was free and simple yet not everyone using it. Good post. Keep us updated on your future experiences.

Virgin Mobile USA Prepaid Broadband: Finally, Something Reasonable

PhoneBoy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:22:40 +0000

One of my personal complaints with the prepaid industry in the US is the fact that while voice minutes have gotten reasonably cheap, data is still somewhat of a crapshoot. It’s expensive, if it’s available at all. Especially on mobile handsets. I’m looking at you, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Meanwhile, the folks from Virgin Mobile USA (which is supposed to be owned by Sprint any day now) have come up with a mobile broadband plan that is at least on-par with a typical contract data-only plan. For $60 a month, you can get up to 5GB of data that you can use for 30 days. There are lower-priced plans also ($40 for 1gb, $20 for 300MB, and $10 for 100MB). You have to buy their Broadband To Go stick for $100, though, but that’s a small price to pay for contract-free nationwide 3G data service.

I hope that when Sprint finally closes the acquisition of Virgin Mobile USA that they keep this plan. It’s seriously good. It’d be even better at a lower price.

Virgin Mobile USA To Kill Their Postpaid Service On May 25th (mobilecrunch.com)
Virgin Mobile relaxes limits on prepaid broadband offering (gadling.com)
Virgin Mobile Will Euthanize Helio In May [Carriers] (gizmodo.com)
A Better Deal on Prepaid Wireless Broadband (technologizer.com)
Virgin Mobile increases value for prepaid broadband data buckets – $60 for 5GB (mobilecrunch.com)

PhoneBoy’s Travel Toolbox

PhoneBoy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:02:18 +0000

Since I’ve joined Check Point Software, I’ve done a fair bit of traveling–moreso than I’ve done in quite some time. Since I am ending up more random places, and have had the joy of going through airport security in Tel Aviv on two occasions so far (which makes the TSA experience seem relatively painless by comparison), it has forced me to refine my travel toolbox–things that come with me on every trip I make. Lighter traveling makes for easier traveling, and the following items have earned a more or less permanent place in my travel bag.

The Apple iPhone: As much as I have liked the Nokia phones over the years, thanks to the breadth of applications on the iPhone, not to mention the iPhone’s multimedia capabilities, the iPhone has been a welcome travel companion. TripIt and iXpenseIt have become absolutely indispensable applications while traveling.

Portable iPhone Battery Charger: Written about this in the past, of course, but it bares mentioning again, especially when using the iPhone in airplane mode on a plane where they don’t provide a USB or power jack. It keeps my phone charged so that when I land, my iPhone and I are ready to go.

The Nokia E71: This comes in handy, particularly on those trips to Israel where I can’t use my iPhone as anything more than an iPod Touch thanks to AT&T’s roaming rates being so expensive. Prior to my purchasing an iPhone, the Nokia E71 was my primary phone and it is still quite capable in a pinch. It is also a failsafe in case I completely drain the battery in the iPhone

MaxRoam: One thing I have to admit missing from my days at Nokia was not having to worry about my mobile phone charges when traveling abroad. 500 – 1000 EUR phone bills were not all that uncommon for travelers abroad. Even though I was a responsible chap and asked how one might reduce that cost while abroad, I was often told “not to worry” by managers. Meanwhile, Check Point has a different opinion about these things, so I carry a MaxRoam SIM in that Nokia E71 to keep the roaming costs a bit more reasonable. That and I get a local SIM card if I’m going to be someplace more than a few days.

Skype: Assuming I have a good Internet connection, Skype is a lifesaver, especially for making reasonable calls to the US while I am abroad. Actually, the calls are included in the ~$30/year Skype North America plan, making it an excellent value.

Monster Outlets To Go: Given the relative lack of plugs I have found in hotel rooms, having a power strip with me has proven to be a wise investment. Abroad, it is even better because I can make more efficient use of the relatively scarce plug adapters. The Outlets To Go by Monster has been fantastic. It’s compact, the plug lights up when connected to power, and it’s relatively inexpensive. Can’t ask for much more than that.

iPass: As much as I’ve used (and loved) Boingo in the past, I have had numerous issues with their software on the iPhone and on the Mac. Also, I frequently find their “mobile” software doesn’t allow me to log into hotspots I use frequently. Enter iPass, who has been at this remote access game longer. They still provide dialup Internet access on the road, but also provide Internet access through a number of other mechanisms, including many of the same WiFi hotspots Boingo does. Their iPhone app works pretty well. More options is good, and when providing reliable remote access solutions, experience counts.

A Travel Router: Because one never knows exactly what kind of broadband connectivity one will find at a hotel, and I have multiple devices that might need to use that Internet access, a travel router has a place in my bag. I can plug it into the hotel Ethernet and make it WiFi so my laptop and my mobile phones can connect to it. I currently use a first-generation WTR54GS from Linksys, which I have flashed with the flexible DD-WRT firmware.

The EVERYMAN Headset: Yes, with Skype, one needs a quality headset for an optimal experience. The EVERYMAN delivers in terms of cost and compactness in my travel bag. Yes, they gave me a review unit a few months ago, but at $23 shipped to my door, I’d happily buy another one!

An Extra Change of Clothes: One thing I learned from a professional services guy I worked with early in my career is that you never know when you will get stuck someplace on the road. Flights get canceled or severely delayed. Any number of accidents can happen involving your clothing, as well. As a result, I always–even on short trips–bring an extra change of clothes with me. I have never had to use them, thankfully, but it’s nice to know they’re there if I need them.

An Extra Bag: Yes, I actually pack an extra bag in my carryon. It’s one of those nylon “recyclable” bags you might get at a grocery store. This particular one folds up nicely with a velcro flap to keep it a nice, tidy bundle. However, if I end up picking up a few extra things on my travels, having a way to carry that stuff home is important.

Comments

21 October 2009, SuzanneC writes: Another item that you and your readers might want to consider for your "Travel Tool Box" is a new up-and-coming VoIP service called www.friendcaller.com, a browser-based P2P VoIP application based on the Java platform. I'm representing FriendCaller, and we've gotten some great feedback from travelers who like having the ability to talk with their friends back home, for free, via their Web browsers through the FriendCaller platform. Not only do they find it simple to use, but it also saves a lot of money on calling plans. FriendCaller just released its new iPhone/iPod app, FriendCaller 3 Pro, which enables users to send a CallMe link from their iPhone/iPod to anyone on the Internet, and they can talk for free, over WiFi, to their friends.

Clearing Inbox Debris

PhoneBoy — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:27:35 +0000

It’s that time again:

FreeConferencing.com Launches: Until they do something to equalize inter-carrier compensation between most civilized parts of the United States and rural locations, services like FreeConferenceCall.com and now FreeConferencing.com will continue to exist and be profitable. By hosting these services in, say, rural Iowa, they actually make a small amount of money per minute on incoming calls. Anyway, FreeConferencing.com is a way to do a one-to-many call, complete with a web-based console to manage the call.

Vonage Trying To Act Like Mobile Phone Carriers: Vonage, the VoIP landline replacement service provider that refuses to die, is now offering a deal where you can sign up and not pay for equipment, shipping, or activation. The catch? You have to sign a two year agreement complete with early termination fees that are, according to my calculations, worse than a mobile phone contract.

iPopperz Fashion Earphones: Personally not my thing, but these are relatively inexpensive, in-ear haedphones with a number of styles, colors, and whatnot. I would consider buying the black, green, and black pair. One cool thing: they sell replacement earpads. Granted, there is a huge amount of markup there, but it’s the first time I’ve seen them available.

Bad Experience on DeFi Mobile: I briefly wrote about DeFi Mobile in October. Wasn’t sure how well the service was going to be when it went live, but someone forwarded me some correspondence to and from the company related to their experience. In short: it was bad voice quality and improper CallerID. Anyone have a good experience with DeFi Mobile?

Qwest Offering Free WiFi Nationwide: If you happen to live in an area where Qwest is your local exchange carrier and you get high speed Internet from them, now you can take it with you–sort of. Qwest has signed a deal with AT&T to provide Qwest customers free WiFi at 17,000 AT&T operated WiFi hotspots. Personally, I think it’s worth $9.95 a month for Boingo, which offers WiFi at AT&T locations and a whole bunch more!

Comments

23 May 2009, Andy Abramson writes: Re: DeFi Mobile---are they around? It has been months since I even heard about them. Re: Vonage--I'm at least liking the fact that the new management team is trying to be different and newer. re: Qwest-They have to wish they had been bought. I still think someone, likely Verizon gobbles them up at some point, but do they ever need a mobile play. re: Free Conference Calling---My prediction-Skype wipes that market up in a few years. The paid stuff ends up at COL (Citrix OnLine) which was HighDefConferencing.com, a former client.
24 May 2009, spg writes: when DeFi first came out I inquired about whether i could really call any phone in any country or if it was a fancy way of wording 'VOIP cals to any country' and i specifically picked a couple desitinations i know to be super expensive. they replied with a 'quote' from the marketing dept. and nothing specific to the destinations i asked about. all aditional inquires via email went unanswered and my forum posts asking questions were never posted. i notice that the forum is 100% positive posts now; so they obvoisely moderate out all else. more recently i have noticed they have a list of countries taht can not be called; this list grows almost every day. for me the one amazing thing about this service was the unlimited calls to any country. that made this an interesting service to be used from a single location for 'cost savings on otherwise expensive international calls' that i believe has a much bigger market than the limited number of people who would use it from public WiFi spots. of course with a growing list of countries that can not be called that attraction is disappearing.
24 May 2009, spg writes: i just checked the website and the list of unsported countries has now been replaced with a short list of supported countries.
29 May 2009, Matt writes: I had no idea Qwest was still around. They were my provider when I lived in Montana.
12 June 2009, jiya bingo live free writes: For me the one amazing thing about this service was the unlimited calls to any country.that made this an interesting service to be used from a single location.

Ditching the WDS Mesh and Going HomePlug AV

PhoneBoy — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:27:35 +0000

For a while now, the family computers were connected to the Internet using a couple of WiFi routers: one was in a WDS Mesh with my router upstairs in my office. The other router was simply a client set up in Client Bridge mode. All of the routers were Linksys WRT54G(S) running DD-WRT 2.4 SP1.

When I first set this up, I spent roughly two weeks diddling with it and finally got something stable. It generally stayed that way, though periodically, I’d experience random dropouts and other weirdness. The past several days, the WDS mesh would simply fail for no reason and despite my best efforts, I could not bring it up again.

I replaced my Linksys in my office with a UTM-1 EDGE W device I picked up from the office. This is an industrial strength firewall with WiFi, anti-virus at the gateway, and a lot of other cool security features in something about the size of a typical Linksys/D-Link router. I’m sure costs more than what most people want to spend on a router, given enterprises buy hundreds of them and manage them centrally. Home users can get a lot of the same functionality in the ZoneAlarm Z100G Secure Wireless Router for $150 shipped to your door (sorry, US and Canada only).

Unfortunately, this didn’t solve my WDS problem since the EDGE gateway does WDS differently than the Linksys boxes. I set both Linksys routers downstairs into Client Bridge mode temporarily, which allowed the Internet to work, albeit a little more slowly. Unfortunately, this is still not reliable as the WiFi periodically cuts out downstairs.

Today, I trekked over to Frys Electronics and picked up some HomePlug AV gear from TRENDnet (specifically the TRENDnet Tpl-302E2K 200Mbps Powerline Av Ethernet Adapter Kit and TRENDnet Tpl-302E 200Mbps Powerline Av Ethernet Adapter B Class). D-Link, Belkin, and Netgear also make this equipment, but I opted for the TRENDnet gear for one simple reason: I could buy a single TRENDNet HomePlug AV receiver. I needed 3 of them and the price for a pair was, at minimum, $120.

Setup was pretty easy, if you follow the included QuickStart guide. The TRENDnet software tool for configuring these devices (which, unfortunately, requires Windows) was able to find all three of my devices right away. It took me almost no time to get the devices connected together and passing traffic. One of the devices is plugged in near my router upstairs, the other two are downstairs in different rooms.

There are, of course, some limitations with these devices:

The device–which is much larger than our typical wall-wort–partially blocks the other outlet. I found it worked if I used the top outlet and had the “bottom” facing upward.
The device absolutely must be plugged in directly to the wall for it to work (i.e. no powerstrips).
A maximum of 16 devices is supported.
All devices must be on the same circuit breaker. This basically means you can only use these devices within a single dwelling.

While the TRENDnet Utility shows my devices not getting anywhere near the stated 200mb/s maximum throughput–the spec says the max data throughput is actually 150mb/s–I am getting anywhere from 10mb to 30mb/s to and from my locations. It’s at least as good as the WiFi link if not better as it’s more stable. I wish the price would come down a bit, but it’s still cheaper than cutting up drywall and adding in the necessary outlets.

Comments

1 May 2009, TRENDnet TPL-302E2K Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit at Joy of Gadgets writes: [...] (Crossposted from http://phoneboy.com/3013/ditching-the-wds-mesh-and-going-homeplug-av) [...]
2 May 2009, Kyle Jones writes: PSST: http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/down.php?path=downloads%2Fothers%2Feko%2FBrainSlayer-V24-preSP2/ Fixes a lot of WDS and Client Bridge issues. Love CP, not a fan of EDGE boxes, especially the licensing issues they've always had and how their support is completely different from CP support. Oh, forgot to mention how you have to manually put files on the SCS for new versions of EDGE software. Check this out: http://d-link.com/products/?sec=2&pid=480 No, it doesn't work with SCS. Been there, done that. GUI is even the same, just with silver, blue, and green instead of orange, white, and blue of CP.
2 May 2009, PhoneBoy writes: I was having other issues with the WiFi unrelated to WDS. Personally, I think one of my Linksys routers was going a little funny. Getting the Linksys boxes entirely out of the WiFi equation makes me feel better (though one is doing DHCP and DNS duties, sans WiFi of course). And the EDGE box with the high gain antennas originally on one of my Linksys routers covers my house just as well as the WDS mesh was doing with less dropouts. That D-Link box is similar to the IP60 we sold independently of Check Point: basically the same box with a different color scheme and different UI.

Watch for Domain Scammers like ZipDomains

PhoneBoy — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:59:12 +0000

Several years ago, I purchased a domain for our family. Upon doing the prerequisite search, we ultimately settled on a .net name. Not our first choice, but it was what was available.

On 1 January, I got an email from a company called Zip Domains on my admin email address:

Our company specializes in acquiring expired domain names to help individuals and businesses protect their brand online.

The domain name XXXXXX.COM is expired and will become available soon.

We noticed that you own XXXXXX.NET and felt that you may be interested in acquiring the .COM version of your existing domain name.

We can assist in trying to acquire the domain name, as there are likely many interested parties competing for it.

There are no upfront costs, and the fee if we are successful is only $199 USD.

If you are interested, please let us know by January 3 at the latest.

Sorry, but someone tried to sell me the domain earlier in the year for less than that. Think I’m going to pay $199 to some company that spammed me? Fat chance!

At that point, I checked the whois registry and found the domain was about to be removed from DNS, just like they said. I figured, I’ll wait a few days for it to be removed from the whois registry and try to purchase it through 1&1.

On the 9th, I got another email from Zip Domains telling me they had secured the rights to the domain and I could purchase it from them for only $99!

Our company specializes in acquiring expired domain names to help individuals and businesses protect their brand online.

The domain name XXXXXX.COM expired recently and we were able to secure it.

We noticed the you own XXXXXX.COM and felt that you may be interested in acquiring the .COM version of your existing domain name.

It is available for a one-time fee of only $99.00 USD.

To purchase or learn more, please visit http://zipdomains.com/buy.php?domain=xxxxxx.com

While the domain was still showing as being deleted in whois, when I checked the next day, it was available. I went into my domain control panel on 1&1 and ordered the .com domain for $8.99, saving me over 1000% what Zip Domains wanted to charge!

I thank Zip Domains for making me aware of the expired domain. However, there was zero chance I was going to pay above the typical registration cost for a domain, particularly for my family where the value of having “the right” domain is relatively low.

I have to wonder how many people fall for zipdomains “scam,” buying a domain they could have had for the nominal cost if they waited a few days. It’s not clear to me ZipDomains actually does anything to secure a domain name. The domain was either marked as “being deleted” or “not present” in whois when Zip Domains told me they had secured it for my purchase, so I question their legitimacy. (If someone from Zip Domains wants to rebut my statements, leave a comment below)

In short, beware of companies that are trying to scare you into buying a domain from them or send you “renewal” notices in the postal mail–that’s my favorite one.

Comments

11 January 2009, Jeff Mills writes: Same thing happened to me for a domain name that I wanted. First offer was for $199, then couple days later... for $99. So I googled the company name. found your blog post, called up Godaddy and was able to buy it regular price for $9.99. Thanks for helping me save a big bundle on a domain name that I always wanted. Great post! Jeff Mills http://canadamarketingsummit.com
11 January 2009, Tim writes: I had pretty much the exact same experience with these clowns. These guys and the people who send me snail mail telling me that I should renew my domains through them with a cleverly masked registrar transfer agreement should all be stoned. Stoned in the bad way, not the good way. :)
14 January 2009, Leo writes: Same thing happened to me. I was able to buy the domain for $9.99 through GoDaddy. Thanks Zip, btw, for letting me know!
29 January 2009, Gene Fields writes: Same here. They sent me an email, so, I checked it out and purchased for 1000% less than what they wanted. Now, they are sending me spoof emails to an average of 100/minute. Right now I am at 2,376 and still going. I contacted the hosting company to see what can be done...looking forward to fun times. Retrieving DNS records for ns2.pldihosting.net... DNS servers ns2.pldihosting.net [64.250.192.92] ns3.pldihosting.net [64.250.192.37] Answer records ns2.pldihosting.net 1 MX preference: 0 exchange: ns2.pldihosting.net 14400s ns2.pldihosting.net 1 SOA server: ns3.pldihosting.net email: sysop@pldi.net serial: 2009011601 refresh: 86400 retry: 7200 expire: 3600000 minimum ttl: 86400 86400s ns2.pldihosting.net 1 NS ns3.pldihosting.net 86400s ns2.pldihosting.net 1 NS ns2.pldihosting.net 86400s ns2.pldihosting.net 1 A 64.250.192.92 14400s Authority records Additional records ns2.pldihosting.net 1 A 64.250.192.92 14400s ns3.pldihosting.net 1 A 64.250.192.37 14400s
29 January 2009, Tim writes: Interesting that they're spamming you. What is the content of the mail exactly? Are they trying to get you to buy the domain you already own or is it something else entirely?
29 January 2009, PhoneBoy writes: They are trying to get me to buy the domain through them using scare tactics. Fortunately, I know how things work and just bought it through my normal registrar.
7 February 2009, Julieanne writes: Me too! First attempt was to sell me the .com for $997, how amusing! Then Zip offered to me for $99. I found your post after Googling 'Zip Domains'. I discovered that my .com was available through my usual host for £9, so THANK YOU very much, you made my day!
25 March 2009, Blippitt writes: articles by Zemanta Auction.com: Sold for $2.5 Million? ( blippitt.com ) NameCheap Launches Another Domain Name Giveaway Using Microblogging Tool Twitter ( seomashup.blogspot.com ) Domain Registration Privacy Protection - Do You Need It? ( domainmacher.com )Watch for Domain Scammers like ZipDomains( phoneboy.com ) Related Posts: Win $1,000 with Domain Madness Contest BachelorsDegree.com Sells for $62,500 Toys.com Sale Finally Approved Domaining: FlatRate.de Sells for $200,000 Excellent Domain Flipping Guide Related Items: Maki

Skype, Truphone, and Boingo: It’s All Related

PhoneBoy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:41:01 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase

Today’s been a relative cornucopia of news related to Skype, Truphone, and Boingo, three services I like quite a bit. They are only related insofar as they all involve Skype in some way.

First off, let’s talk Skype on the Mac. Dan York reports he’s gotten to play with the new Skype 2.8 client for the Mac, which offers some “unique” features:

Screen Sharing with Macs, Windows, and Linux
Improved chat management: ability to sort chats in the drawer and set priorities to chats
Quick Add: much easier to add people to chats
Mood message chat: mood message updates from your friends as chat messages
Large avatars: 256×256 pixels
Hidden avatars in incoming contact requests
Ability to add your own notes to contacts

You should go read Dan’s post for the blow-by-blow, or go check out the post on Skype Journal. I’m sure I’ll have my own once the client is released (supposedly tomorrow, on the 6th of January, so check here to see if it’s available yet).

The other feature present in this new Skype relates to my friends at Boingo: you can now use Skype Credits to pay for Boingo WiFi hotspots on a per-minute basis, no monthly or daily fees required. It sounds a bit pricey at $0.22 a minute that Dan mentions in his post, considering that Boingo’s monthly rate is now a jaw-dropping $9.95 a month for North America! Might be a better deal abroad. I’ll have to see how this works before I can comment further.

Finally, Truphone announced today that the latest version of their iPhone/iPod Touch calling application, which now includes the ability to both IM and call Skype users! IM is also supported for Gtalk (calling also available), MSN. and Yahoo. Calling is coming for MSN and Yahoo. Twitter support is also in the app as wel. The new Truphone app for iPod Touch/iPhone will be available on the 12th of January.

I talked with newly appointed Truphone CEO Geraldine Wilson about the app this evening. I had to ask some dumb questions about the app, being that I don’t have an iPhone or an iPod Touch to try it on myself. At this point, the app still has to be in the foreground in order to receive calls or receive IM messages. No support for SMS yet, either. It’s also not clear when IM and Skype capabilities will be available on other supported handsets.

I’m wondering, though, if we won’t see Truphone some how join up with Boingo in order to provide a seamless experience in the more than 100,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide? Or how about somehow using Apple’s Push Notification service for IM and inbound calls? It would certainly make it easier to use Truphone anywhere.

Comments

6 January 2009, :: DMY :: writes: Egalement au menu, mais nettement moins excitant : partage d’écran et son/video améliorés C’est dans la béta 2.8 pour mac qui est disponible depuis quelques heures Related articles by Zemanta Skype 2.8 beta in the wildSkype, Truphone, and Boingo: It’s All RelatedSkype 2.8 for Mac coming Tuesday, with screen sharing and WiFi connector Skype 2.8 for Mac to launch Tuesday Skype 2.8 for Mac: Your Online Demo Is Calling Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta Launches Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac OS X provides screen sharing, Wi-Fi
10 January 2009, Jack Clarke writes: Nice read, hope Skype updates the Linux version one day it's lagging behind Windows and Mac as far as new added features.
29 January 2009, N73 Blog writes: I am still waiting for a true applications from skype for Symbian. I think is the best VOIP app, and it really needs a version for mobiles

Boingo Taking Over WiFi on Washington State Ferries

PhoneBoy — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:58:53 +0000

Image of boingo

A couple years ago, I found out they were putting WiFi on the ferries in Washington State. Being as I rarely take the ferries around here, it’s not something I’ve been tracking all that closely. However, I do appreciate how useful it would be to have–particularly on that hour-long Bremerton to Seattle run

The entire fleet of ferries and ferry terminals does not have WiFi yet, but it’s certainly expanded from when I heard about it a couple of years ago. 11 Washington State Ferries terminals and 15 Ferries offer WiFi service today.

And now, those floating WiFi hotspots are owned by the folks at Boingo. Boingo has announced they’re taking over WiFi on the ferries from Parsons Transportation Group. The most immediate thing that customers will notice, aside from the new splash page, is the price will go down to $21.95/mo from the $29.95/mo it originally was. In addition, customers will be able to use WiFi at all of Boingo’s locations throughout the U.S. and Canada for that price, not just the ferries. If you have a supported mobile phone, you can use Boingo Mobile for only $7.95/mo!

Seems like a win-win for everyone involved. Passengers get a better deal, more access, and their WiFi is now managed by people that actually know how to do it. What’s not to like?

Comments

17 November 2008, VoIP Watch: WiFi on The Water In Washington via Boingo writes: [...] Last week it was airports being added by Boingo. This week they've added ferries and ferry terminals in Washington State. [...]
22 November 2008, Voip Blog writes: Last week it was airports being added by Boingo.This week they've added ferries and ferry terminals in Washington State.As PhoneBoy points out, the costs have been lowered and subscribers immediately gain access to the entire Boingo network around the globe. The official announcement is here while the maven of all things WiFi, Glenn Fleishman weighs in

CTIA Against Spectrum Caps, Against Competition

PhoneBoy — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:15:14 +0000

The latest post on the CTIA blog didn’t make a lot of sense. They were arguing against spectrum caps. Of course, they did nothing to directly explain what spectrum caps are and instead chose to use a bunch of flawed analogies to describe it.

In short, there is a fixed amount of spectrum available for wireless carriers to use to provide service. All carriers. In order to ensure there are enough carriers providing service to have some semblance of competition, there are caps on the amount of spectrum a single carrier can control.

The main reason this topic of spectrum caps is even coming up is because of the Verizon Wireless/Alltel merger, which was recently approved by all the government agencies. Of course, the merger is without some conditions, one being that Verizon has to give up spectrum in over 100 markets in order to comply with spectrum caps. Makes me wonder who the CTIA is really representing here.

The first analogy the CTIA tries to draw is that the spectrum caps are a bit like “setting a computer cap based on a 1992 computer’s specs – it would be like adopting a cap of 4 MB RAM and a 40 MB hard-drive and saying that no new applications can be written requiring more than that.” Some pretty innovative computing came out of those dark ages. Sure, it requires a bit more work, but it’s possible.

The second analogy: it’s like saying no highway should be more than two lanes. Unlike a road, where cars are generally a fixed size, one can always make more efficient use of spectrum. Look at the 802.11 WiFi. The original 802.11 specification–that predates b, g or n–was 2mb/s. The current draft 802.11n can go 300mb/s. The same can be said of the mobile phone networks themselves. AMPS–the old analog spectrum–required a lot of spectrum, CDMA and GSM use spectrum more efficiently.

The final analogy they use: spectrum caps are a bit like “restricting the number of coffee shops a company could have in a given city.” This is somewhat true, but keep in mind that there is a limited, fixed amount of spectrum available for all carriers to use. What the spectrum caps do is ensure that no one carrier controls too much of the spectrum to allow multiple carriers to exist, i.e. not all coffee shops are Starbucks.

Let’s take the CTIA’s position on spectrum caps to its foregone conclusion: without any spectrum caps, a single carrier could conceivably control all of the spectrum in a given market. Given there is only a fixed amount of spectrum available for mobile telephony, spectrum caps ensure it is possible for multiple providers to provide service in any given area. So how is lifting the spectrum caps helping competition exactly?

I will agree this is not the most optimal solution, but while I tend to think universal service is important, I think that mandate can be filled without lifting the spectrum caps,thus preserving competition. What do you think?

Comments

11 November 2008, spg writes: i agree. lifting the caps will only stifle competition. mergers could be approved with the condition the new monster company could not bid on any future spectrum in the given areas. that would make the next batch of spectrum available to a new competitor with the incumbent driving up the price.
11 November 2008, spg writes: correction: i meant to say: 'without the incumbent driving up the price'
12 November 2008, Aaron Huslage writes: I think that the CTIA is right in one respect. Due to technological advances, the caps make no sense anymore. But I would take it a bit farther in saying that selling licenses to airwaves makes no sense anymore. The FCC should become an agency that regulates open airwaves, not closed ones. There is no reason that "interference" should exist anymore given our current technologies. Having said this. They can't lift the caps and they can't open the airwaves until companies decide to cooperate on their own.
17 November 2008, Kenneth writes: I agree... it doesn't make sense to me.
21 November 2008, PhoneBoy writes: @huslage you're right that interference should be a thing of the past. We have technological solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, there is a LOT of legacy gear that isn't so smart.

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