20 July 2008

Quit Fooling Customers Part II

I'm sure everyone read my rant on how OEM's have ruined the state of international 3G. Right now, your phones only work in certain places on the globe. Manufacturers and carriers has somehow conspired to control our travel, phone choices, and carrier selection.

It's stupid that they think European, African, Australian, and Asian users should be able to have a common uninterrupted 3G footprint UNTIL THEY COME TO NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, and vice versa. I, myself, would like to be paired with Asia and Africa, the emerging mobile and business market.

I know alot of British energy industry people that'd love a phone that worked there as well as Venezuela's oil and gas fields, and could care less about Asia and Australia. For whatever reason, though, the powers that be give preference to European business travellers when it comes to Asia and Africa, forcing Americans to buy another device for African and Asian usage. The same for Europeans wishing to do business here in America. Either deal with a crippled device, or buy an extra.

This is such a boneheaded practice. Business users have been the bread and butter of the carriers all these years, and the meat and potatoes of the smartphone manufacturers. Why haven't there been devices made for these travelling globetrotters? The need is definitely there, and the main reason people choose a GSM service is to supposedly allow interoperability across networks.

Global 3G fragmentation is threatening to slow the growth of the industry, and put focus on silly things like iPod capability and touchscreens, instead of better 3G services and increasing international functionality and mobility. I hear no one complaining about something GSM was designed to prevent.

You would expect an unlocked phone to work everywhere, but it doesn't. Why not? What is unlocked supposed to mean? I know what it used to, but not anymore. And, honestly, why on earth don't T-Mobile branded phones from Europe work on its American 3G network, but can be made to work on other carriers' networks there? We must stand up and demand our entire phones work on all GSM networks, not just its calling features. Especially branded phones! I expect a Voda set to support the entire global network, and the same for T-Mobile! But it isn't that way.

As a carrier, I'd use my leverage to force the OEM's to support my global footprint. Wouldn't a branded set from T-Mobile that worked seemlessly from America to Europe be even more desirable than an unlocked device that only works on at&t here? (I wonder if automakers could get away with making all-wheel-drive cars that only worked as a front-wheel-drive in certain locations?) I'm a big hater of the American Nseries versions that only work on one carrier. How isn't it branded?!? Who is it unlocked for? If it partially works, it's partially locked by design.

When GSM came to the US, it was touted as a global technology with standardized interoperability. Now the song has changed. Someone isn't playing fairly, and its only costing consumers. GSM has long been the better technology for mobiles. But in America, options exists, and now they've become more attractive. Outside the Symbian world, all US carriers carry the same smartphones. There is no benefit unless you're addicted to Symbian like me. (I'm Chris, and I'm a Symbiaholic.) All those Touch Pros and Blackberries can be had with blazing fast EVDO mobile broadband from Sprint or Verizon, so GSM is losing its luster for some.

Carriers need to do more to serve customers globally. A mobile carrier should offer services and equipment to promote mobility, not stifle it. Give us what we asked for, and what GSM unlocked promised to be. FREE 3G! Or watch me disappear...