tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post4730360473407651033..comments2024-03-20T22:57:03.923+00:00Comments on Dean Bubley's Disruptive Wireless: Starting to dismantle the Tyranny of the SIM cardDean Bubleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-32557864691876124562008-03-04T19:12:00.000+00:002008-03-04T19:12:00.000+00:00Martin - thanks, interesting article.Max - you're ...Martin - thanks, interesting article.<BR/><BR/>Max - you're combining a lot of different issues here. <BR/><BR/>There is definite value in voice roaming, as there is with the ability to use ATMs and debit cards, because you want to link back to your home account / number. I have no problem with paying a bit extra to withdraw cash from a bank in the US, and no problem paying a small premium to have my domestic mobile number reachable while I'm travelling for inbound calls.<BR/><BR/>There is much less justification for premium costs for outbound calls while I'm roaming - they might as well emanate from a local # in most cases.<BR/><BR/>Data roaming is different again. There is almost no value-add involved, bar the lack of need to set up a local account. In fact, the extra latency is arguably value-negative. <BR/><BR/>This "death of innovation" argument is extremely weak. "Where is the incentive to the mobile operators to innovate and develop new services if they cannot guarantee.."<BR/><BR/>There seems to be plenty of incentive for other innovators, even without guarantees. What makes the operators such special flowers?<BR/><BR/>Innovation is clearly more stimulated by competition than it is by egregiously-high costs ($20 per MB, for example). Last time I looked, Mastercard, Visa and Amex were all pretty profitable, and all pretty innovative.<BR/><BR/>"The SIM card is vital to ensuring our identity travels with us and vital to ensuring our home operator is rewarded for the services they provide for you". I'm sorry, but that's complete protectionist nonsense. I'm happy to have a SIM card for my phone number - but it's certainly not my "identity". If anything, my Yahoo! ID and my ISP email credentials are far more important.<BR/><BR/>The SIM is useful for some applications, but it's certainly not mandatory, and I don't believe its remit will extend much beyond basic voice telephony.Dean Bubleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-20613056023058115482008-03-02T21:31:00.000+00:002008-03-02T21:31:00.000+00:00Its all very well wanting complete freedom but whe...Its all very well wanting complete freedom but where is the incentive to the mobile operators to innovate and develop new services if they cannot guarantee that their investment will be repaid and more importantly be profitable?<BR/><BR/>Your case in point is roaming. An enormous amount of effort has gone into setting up, negotiating roaming contracts and supporting the service for an operator's own customers. It is a continual process that just gets harder as new services are developed because we, the selfish consumer, expect our phones to work abroad as they do at home.<BR/><BR/>If the operators had ever imagined that users would simply buy a local SIM card when abroad would they have put the efforts into making this work as well as it does (and believe me it always amazes me that I can be reached anywhere in the world without the caller knowing I am abroad). I'm fairly sure they wouldn't, particularly when you consider that more people leave the island that is Great Britain then visit so the wholesale revenues generated from vistors do not outweigh the costs of supporting roamers.<BR/><BR/>The SIM card is vital to ensuring our identity travels with us and vital to ensuring our home operator is rewarded for the services they provide for you. <BR/><BR/>When you put the local SIM card into your phone when roaming abroad, you may well be saving money but you may also be contributing to the death of innovation in your home market.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-91815698788745572872008-03-02T09:35:00.000+00:002008-03-02T09:35:00.000+00:00Hi Dean,Interesting post! My response is a bit lon...Hi Dean,<BR/><BR/>Interesting post! My response is a bit long so I put it on my blog:<BR/><BR/>http://esyurl.com/61r<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>MartinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com