I'll admit that I'm probably the last guy who you'd expect to come out in favor of limiting a consumer's use of their own technology. Well, I don't know that I am in favor of Skype not getting "Carterfoned" for use on U.S. mobile devices, but I certainly understand it.
Being able to have free, unlimited calling to other Skype-ers and dirt-cheap rates to other phones would rip the bottom out of the mobile phone industry. Think about how many people would activate data-only plans or just get the cheapest rate plan to maintain an account with their carrier. Either carriers would lose a ton of money or, more likely, we'd see the price of data-only plans soar to compensate for the loss in calling plan revenue.
Also, keep in mind that one of the Big 4 is in pretty serious trouble. I won't name names, but they've seen millions of customers and billions of dollars evaporate in the last 3 years, seen their stock plummet from a respectable low-$20's to about $6.50 and have been entirely unable to find their direction. If Skype came in on mobiles we could see our Mystery Carrier shut down or get bought out. We would lose 25% of the Big 4 national carriers and there would be an enormous number of jobs lost.
So if you're gearing up to scream about how stupid I am, I'm way ahead of you. I get why people want Skype on their mobile and why they think they should be allowed to. I understand it, I promise. But at the same time, it's a really tricky situation that K-Mart (the FCC Chairman, not the retailer) is in the middle of. Sometimes it's easy to say that the Government just likes to meddle or that they can't get their heads out of their asses, but this isn't one of those times.
Trying to find a balance between being pro-competition and (no exaggeration) protecting the future of an entire industry in this country - I'm not jealous.
Being able to have free, unlimited calling to other Skype-ers and dirt-cheap rates to other phones would rip the bottom out of the mobile phone industry. Think about how many people would activate data-only plans or just get the cheapest rate plan to maintain an account with their carrier. Either carriers would lose a ton of money or, more likely, we'd see the price of data-only plans soar to compensate for the loss in calling plan revenue.
Also, keep in mind that one of the Big 4 is in pretty serious trouble. I won't name names, but they've seen millions of customers and billions of dollars evaporate in the last 3 years, seen their stock plummet from a respectable low-$20's to about $6.50 and have been entirely unable to find their direction. If Skype came in on mobiles we could see our Mystery Carrier shut down or get bought out. We would lose 25% of the Big 4 national carriers and there would be an enormous number of jobs lost.
So if you're gearing up to scream about how stupid I am, I'm way ahead of you. I get why people want Skype on their mobile and why they think they should be allowed to. I understand it, I promise. But at the same time, it's a really tricky situation that K-Mart (the FCC Chairman, not the retailer) is in the middle of. Sometimes it's easy to say that the Government just likes to meddle or that they can't get their heads out of their asses, but this isn't one of those times.
Trying to find a balance between being pro-competition and (no exaggeration) protecting the future of an entire industry in this country - I'm not jealous.
video alexander Khandi