T-Mobile UK Launching Flat-Rate HSDPA Service, With Insane Limitations

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/3ggprs/0,39020339,39267682,00.htm' target='_blank'>http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communicati...39267682,00.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"T-Mobile UK has announced a flat-rate version of its data tariff, aimed primarily at business users. The release of Web'n'Walk Professional coincides with the introduction of a new data card, which will take advantage of T-Mobile's upcoming next-generation 3G service. Not only is it the first HSDPA-enabled data card to be offered by a major network in the UK, but it's also quad-band and has integrated Wi-Fi...Such high speeds would seem to make the new data card ideal for applications such as Internet telephony and instant messaging. However, the fine print for Web'n'Walk Pro reveals that these are explicitly banned by T-Mobile, and any user caught running the applications risks expulsion from the network."</i><br /><br />Okay, I know Verizon Wireless' 3G service is famous here in the US for its limitations, but T-Mobile UK's taking it to a new level: no instant messaging on their flat-rate service? 8O Not only is IM (and most VoIP solutions, for that matter) very low-bandwidth, it's often a useful business tool, despite T-Mobile's suggestions otherwise. I presume T-Mobile UK has different (non-flat-rate) options that allow these services to run, but I'm increasingly disturbed that somehow carriers can decide that an IP network should somehow carry some traffic and not others based on how much one pays. I think it's understandable that bandwidth abusers are curbed, but attempts to undermine network neutrality to this extent may soon become a serious threat to the way the Internet is structured.

[Don't Panic!]

The two-tiered Internet is coming soon. It simply amazes me that it hasn't happened already. This is not something I look forward to but I feel it is inevitable with all these company mergers and acquisitions going on. This is just a personal opinion of course, I have nothing substantial to back up my statements with.

[thunderbass]

I think the problem here is that the cell providers are in the business of charging people for minutes, and if you use VOIP, they do that. We really need a better option for wireless than what any of them are willing to provide.

[Janak Parekh]

I think the problem here is that the cell providers are in the business of charging people for minutes, and if you use VOIP, they do that. We really need a better option for wireless than what any of them are willing to provide.
Okay, I'll buy that. But what exactly is the justification of banning IM? :?

--janak

[Duncan]

I think the problem here is that the cell providers are in the business of charging people for minutes, and if you use VOIP, they do that. We really need a better option for wireless than what any of them are willing to provide.
Okay, I'll buy that. But what exactly is the justification of banning IM? :?

Exactly. It seems perfectly reasonable for them to ban VoIP (as a mobile telephony company) but banning IM seems very odd.

[jickbahtech]

Makes perfect sense.
VOIP steals minutes charges.
IM steals TXT message charges.

[Janak Parekh]

Makes perfect sense.
VOIP steals minutes charges.
IM steals TXT message charges.
I fear you're right, but the IM&lt;=>SMS analog is far weaker than the VoIP&lt;=>minutes one.

&lt;shrug> I know I won't subscribe to any service that forbids IM. I suspect I'm not in the minority, either.

--janak

[tennr]

Makes perfect sense.
VOIP steals minutes charges.
IM steals TXT message charges.

Umm, where does "stealing" come into the picture. Most people have to PAY to have internet service on thier phones, so there is no stealing.

That starts to sound like an infringment on free speech. I can see it now... the telephone company will ban us from discussing thier competitors while using thier service because they don't like what we have to say... becasue it "steals" from thier bottom line.

[jickbahtech]

Makes perfect sense.
VOIP steals minutes charges.
IM steals TXT message charges.

Umm, where does "stealing" come into the picture. Most people have to PAY to have internet service on thier phones, so there is no stealing.

That starts to sound like an infringment on free speech. I can see it now... the telephone company will ban us from discussing thier competitors while using thier service because they don't like what we have to say... becasue it "steals" from thier bottom line.
8O
Wow...ok
Not stealing in a literal sense, but if you're a suit working for a cell phone company, and one of your techs comes up to you and shows you how your customers are sending instant text messages to each other FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE (other than the data plan), what would your reaction be?
They want you top pay for a set number of minutes (which they hope you will go over so they can charge you more).
They want you to pay an additional fee for texting (some are unlimited, but I'm sure most companies would rather you pay .10 for every incoming/outgoing message that crosses your phone).
They want you to pay for other little Gee-Gaw services like Movie trailer downloads (MOVIE TRAILERS!?!?!? THEY WANT YOU TO PAY FOR ADVERTISING!?!?).
They want you to pay an extra fee for data, but now that data can supercede the above two fees, they want to either control how much data you can get per dollar/pound, OR control what you are allowed to use a data plan for (no IM, no VOIP, no tethering, etc).

With my 6700 here in the States, I could drop to a 200minute $29.99 a month plan, and add vision for $15, and tie that to my Skype number ($30 a year). I would have full IM and email capabilities (plus texting for FREE through email with teleflip which I do now anyway cuz I'm cheap;-), all incoming calls would be free, all Skype to Skype calls would be free, and all out going calls (after my 200 minutes were up) would be .02 a minute. All for less than most other cell companies data plan alone.

There's a reason they dont advertise these features, and it's obvious they see IM and VOIP as such a severe threat.
So very funny as Skype calls to landlines are free for the rest of the year...