So, The Euro carriers are ganging up to try to stop open operating systems controlled by Microsoft and Symbian running on their nice closed networks. To do this they are agreeing to their own common specification, and sucking in a puppet vendor to build it for them.
From dictionary.com
car·tel n.
1. A combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members.
Hmmm... production. Debating the meaning of that word will keep some competition lawyers well supplied in Mercedes convertibles and pate au fois gras for a few years.
Of course the whole thing is ultimately doomed. Competition will occur from open rivals. Smaller local rivals and municipal networks will pop up regardless. (Particularly if we have an oil crunch.) And just like people pay a big premium to live near physical communication links, the economic pressure to be near good and cheap data communication links will be equally pressing. Mesh networking isn't the technological equivalent of hot nuclear fusion. We have it today in a rudimentary commercial form. The only question is whether the traditional carriers have the collective will and power to hold things back for a few years.
UPDATE: More here.
UPDATE: Similar thoughts over at El Reg.
Posted by Martin Geddes at 9:59 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
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