Re: AT&T flings cellphone network wide open

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "W.B. McNamara" <whitney () absono us>
Date: December 7, 2007 7:30:42 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] AT&T flings cellphone network wide open


Dave -

You're right that T-Mobile has long done this.  The irony,however, is  
that so has AT&T (and any other  GSM operator) -- there's nothing new  
happening, it's just that there wasn't a marketing advantage to  
pitching their network as "open" before.  From a Techdirt post on the  
announcement:

"Basically, absolutely nothing happened here except that AT&T's  
marketing crew declared that AT&T's network is now open, and convinced  
USA Today to report it as if it were a big deal. If there was any  
change at all within AT&T, it's that retail store employees are now  
supposed to admit that you can use other devices on the network,  
rather than pretending you can't. Not quite as exciting as "flinging  
the network open," though."

Link: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071206/030232.shtml

- Whit

**
W.B. McNamara
whitney () absono us
646-NEptune7-7791

On Dec 7, 2007, at 6:57 AM, David Farber wrote:

> At long last. Interesting what Hill attention can bring. BTW T- 
> mobile has always done this. djf
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: dewayne () warpspeed com (Dewayne Hendricks)
> Date: December 6, 2007 4:08:07 PM EST
> To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy () warpspeed com>
> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] AT&T flings cellphone network wide open
>
> AT&T flings cellphone network wide open
> USA Today
> By Leslie Cauley
>
> Starting immediately, AT&T (T) customers can ditch their AT&T phones  
> and use any wireless phone, device and software application from any  
> maker — think smartphones, e-mail and music downloading. And they  
> don't have to sign a contract.
> "You can use any handset on our network you want," says Ralph de la  
> Vega, CEO of AT&T's wireless business. "We don't prohibit it, or  
> even police it."
>
> AT&T's push to give consumers maximum control of their wireless  
> worlds is being driven, in part, by Google. The tech giant is a  
> monster in the Internet search business for personal computers, and  
> is hoping to replicate that success in the wireless market.
>
> <http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2007-12-05- 
> att_N.htm>
>
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