Telecom Providers and the Silly Season - Precursor to Christmas

God rest ye merry gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

For Jesus Christ, our Saviour

Was born upon this day……

Anon – which means that yours truly Lindsworth Deer wrote Old Carol

It seems that the silly season, when Telecom Provider lose their reason, is about to start. Already the newly minted Apple iPhone 4.0 is so heavily oversubscribed, that Telecom Provider AT&T Network crashed. Very simple.

Then Telecom Provider T-Mobile announced free smart phones with the catch of purchasing a new Data Plan, already done in Jamaica by CLARO. FaceTime, which I had predicted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4.0 and Video Calling - FaceTime sets the standard”.

This is truly the big selling point of the new improved Apple iPhone 4.0, with its new iPhone OS 4.0 re-christened iOS 4.0, which is easy to speak and less confusing, I rather must comment. Another diamond in the rough emerged in the form of a suggestion by Molly Wood, Executive Editor to have Universal Data Plans.

This is a rather clever suggestion, as logically all Data, whether accessed on your smart phone or via you ADSL, Cable Modem or FIOS connection is the same Data Stream, as it is coming from the same head end or more technically speaking MGW (Media Gateway) or Router as postulated in the article “It's time for universal data plans”, published June 3, 2010 6:01 PM PDT by Molly Wood, CNET News

It would be a bit easier on the wallet, not to mention in keeping with the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski desire to simplify the Telecoms Industry, specifically the Wireless Broadband Market as stated in the article “FCC survey finds fees surprise many mobile users”, published May Wednesday 5 2010, by John Poirier, Reuters and in the article “FCC says consumers are 'bill shocked'”, published May 26, 2010 9:41 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Commentators should notice that the FCC should stay out of pricing data Plans as stated in the article “Why the FCC should stay out of data plan pricing”, published June 3, 2010 2:14 PM PDT by Robert Hahn and Peter Passell, CNET News. Nothing unusual here either, as with the expansion of Wireless Broadband Networks, Universal Data Plans will become a part of the Telecoms Providers arsenal, much as it is the case in the United States of America.

Telecom Provider AT&T has decided that the days of “all-you-can-eat” Data Plans are over and that they would be introducing Data Caps, essentially what Telecoms Providers in Jamaica have being doing since the inception of 3G Wireless Broadband on Wednesday June 2nd 2010 as stated in the article “For New AT&T users, no more "all you can eat" data”, published June 2 2010 By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, The Jamaica Observer, effectively pre-empting the FCC.

Telecom Provider AT&T has responded with what in the Telecoms World and the IT World on Wednesday 2nd 2010 was considered a major shift for a Telecoms Provider: capped, cheaper Data Plans. Telecom Provider AT&T DataPlus Data Plan which has a 200MB cap and charges US$15 per thirty (30) day billing cycle with an overage charge of US$10 per additional 200 MB and the DataPro Data Plan which has a 2GB cap and charges US$25 per thirty (30) day billing cycle with an overage charge of US$15 per additional 1GB as the article details.

But it is Verizon’s response that is of greatest interest to pundits who follow news with regards to Telecom Providers. Not to be outdone by Telecom Provider AT&T and their now apparently successful Apple iPad as stated in the article “Apple sells 1 million iPads” published May 3, 2010 6:16 AM PDT by Jim Dalrymple, CNET News.

The other Telecom Providers are emulating and their now newly re-minted and obviously oversubscribed Apple iPhone 4.0 as stated in the article “Apple, AT&T get record number of iPhone orders”, published Wednesday, 16 June 2010, MINA. Their confidence is showing with its twenty four million (24,000,000) strong Apple iPhones slated for worldwide launch this Summer of 2010 as stated in the article “Report: Apple readying 24 million units of next iPhone”, published May 17, 2010 10:25 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News.

Verizon has announced a Prepaid bundle (equivalent to Postpaid in Jamaica) or month-by-month service involving its Verizon FIOS (Fiber Optic Service) which is effectively a triple-play service similar to FLOW in Jamaica except that it encompasses Wireless Broadband.

Verizon seems to be, on the face of it, taking a leaf out of Molly Wood’s book, as they are apparently positioning themselves to launch a competitor to Telecom Provider AT&T’s capped Data Plans, maintaining their uncapped Data Plans by bundling them into one convenient contract. This development is rather heartening, as albeit there is no connection between her rant and Verizon’s action, the coincidence is nonetheless noteworthy and is more reason why people seem to love this Telecom Providers and its Technician who does his job so well.

Christmas of 2010, if the price is right, is looking bright this year. John Public only hopes that this same level of innovation in terms of simplifying the myriad of choices and options available to customers could be applied here to our local Telecom Providers as per my blog articles:

1.      CLARO and its 3G Data Services - Inform people when they exceed their Overage”

2.      CLARO and ETF - Pro-Rated Dutch Auction is preferred

3.      CLARO and Telecom Providers - FCC taking action on overcharging

Before Christmas of 2010, MNP (Mobile Number Portability) could be applied to our local Telecoms Market, making this Christmas truly merry……….

God rest ye merry gentlemen………..