Comments on: Cell Phone Insanity: the FCC to the rescue? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/ crypto and public policy Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:20:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: james johnson http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-3651 james johnson Thu, 15 May 2008 03:20:19 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-3651 I agree, the entire industry is a little crazy when it comes to a bait and switch mentality, its only a matter of time before churn rate (The rate at which customers leave and enter a new carrier) settles and they focus on their current customers needs. I write about it allow at <a href="www.cellubration.com" rel="nofollow">Cellubration - Cell Phone Reviews and Cellular News</a> and I seem to be writing about it alot more recently. I agree, the entire industry is a little crazy when it comes to a bait and switch mentality, its only a matter of time before churn rate (The rate at which customers leave and enter a new carrier) settles and they focus on their current customers needs. I write about it allow at Cellubration - Cell Phone Reviews and Cellular News and I seem to be writing about it alot more recently.

]]> By: mobile phone queen http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-3247 mobile phone queen Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:31:40 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-3247 Reading this article in 08, it seems that much of the shoddy services that cell phone companies offer, are still alive and kicking today. It would seem that technolgy is moving faster than plain old customer service which seems to be regressing! Reading this article in 08, it seems that much of the shoddy services that cell phone companies offer, are still alive and kicking today. It would seem that technolgy is moving faster than plain old customer service which seems to be regressing!

]]> By: Simon http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-387 Simon Mon, 26 Jan 2004 16:25:25 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-387 <a></a> Number portability has been around for quite a while in the UK. It hasn't produced the effect you're looking for. The reason? Because operators force an artificial delay in porting a number. They are alllowed (under the legislation) to introduce a two week delay as a 'cooling off' period, during which time they are allowed a number of 'persuasion' calls to try and get you to change your mind..... I won't go on, but in essence there's never been a problem porting numbers (I wrote the original T-Mobile number port system), the problem has always been the business. Simplification comes when you have either a) a monopoly (Japan is a good example) b) a long time to settle down. The confusion is part business, part the newness of the technologies and part the demands of the consumers themselves.... And without it you squeeze the room for diversity and innovation.

Number portability has been around for quite a while in the UK.

It hasn’t produced the effect you’re looking for.

The reason? Because operators force an artificial delay in porting a number. They are alllowed (under the legislation) to introduce a two week delay as a ‘cooling off’ period, during which time they are allowed a number of ‘persuasion’ calls to try and get you to change your mind…..

I won’t go on, but in essence there’s never been a problem porting numbers (I wrote the original T-Mobile number port system), the problem has always been the business.

Simplification comes when you have either

a) a monopoly (Japan is a good example)
b) a long time to settle down.

The confusion is part business, part the newness of the technologies and part the demands of the consumers themselves….

And without it you squeeze the room for diversity and innovation.

]]> By: Simon http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-386 Simon Mon, 26 Jan 2004 16:25:18 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-386 <a></a> Number portability has been around for quite a while in the UK. It hasn't produced the effect you're looking for. The reason? Because operators force an artificial delay in porting a number. They are alllowed (under the legislation) to introduce a two week delay as a 'cooling off' period, during which time they are allowed a number of 'persuasion' calls to try and get you to change your mind..... I won't go on, but in essence there's never been a problem porting numbers (I wrote the original T-Mobile number port system), the problem has always been the business. Simplification comes when you have either a) a monopoly (Japan is a good example) b) a long time to settle down. The confusion is part business, part the newness of the technologies and part the demands of the consumers themselves.... And without it you squeeze the room for diversity and innovation.

Number portability has been around for quite a while in the UK.

It hasn’t produced the effect you’re looking for.

The reason? Because operators force an artificial delay in porting a number. They are alllowed (under the legislation) to introduce a two week delay as a ‘cooling off’ period, during which time they are allowed a number of ‘persuasion’ calls to try and get you to change your mind…..

I won’t go on, but in essence there’s never been a problem porting numbers (I wrote the original T-Mobile number port system), the problem has always been the business.

Simplification comes when you have either

a) a monopoly (Japan is a good example)
b) a long time to settle down.

The confusion is part business, part the newness of the technologies and part the demands of the consumers themselves….

And without it you squeeze the room for diversity and innovation.

]]> By: steven vore http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-384 steven vore Mon, 15 Dec 2003 14:01:58 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-384 <a></a> "Siemens now makes a phone that does both TDMA and GSM for AT&T (no other provider has both)." How does this relate to the "GAIT" phones*, of which my son has one with Cingluar? * http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=2

“Siemens now makes a phone that does both TDMA and GSM for AT&T (no other provider has both).”

How does this relate to the “GAIT” phones*, of which my son has one with Cingluar?

* http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=2

]]> By: Ben Adida http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-378 Ben Adida Fri, 31 Oct 2003 17:10:32 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-378 <a></a> I don't expect to know every phone, but I expect the phone companies to work at packaging their products in a way that is related to <b>my needs, not their hyper-complicated financial model</b>. A complicated offering like this is a clear sign of lack of true competition. Hopefully, number portability will force the offerings to become simpler.

I don’t expect to know every phone, but I expect the phone companies to work at packaging their products in a way that is related to my needs, not their hyper-complicated financial model. A complicated offering like this is a clear sign of lack of true competition. Hopefully, number portability will force the offerings to become simpler.

]]> By: Herschel Krustofsky http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ben/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-rescue/#comment-377 Herschel Krustofsky Wed, 29 Oct 2003 01:38:49 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/benadida/2003/10/27/cell-phone-insanity-the-fcc-to-the-r#comment-377 <a></a> 1) You don't expect that you know every model of car or computer, so why expect to know every phone? As they say at Syms, an informed consumer is the best consumer. Check out the phone comparison tool at http://www.phonescoop.com to see the difference between the T610 and the T616. Also, read the forums at http://www.howardforums.com to find the early adopter point of view. If you are too lazy to go to PhoneScoop , the difference is that the T616 supports the US-only 850 MHZ GSM, dropping the original GSM 900 MHZ band used in old Euro networks. It also supports 1800 (recent Euro GSM) and 1900 MHZ (North American GSM from T-Mobile, ATT, Cingular, Fido, etc). Only ATT and Cingular support 850 MHZ GSM in the US. Due to the lower frequency it will penetrate buildings much better than the high frequency PCS phones. 2) If your T-Mobile contract is up, you have a lot of leverage with them. Call and ask for "retention" and they will likely offer you a Nokia 3650 (a lovely 900/1800/1900 GSM cameraphone with the Symbian Series 60 Smartphone OS & Bluetooth) for $95. You can also get the Nokia 6610, a 900/1800/1900 GSM w/ a built in FM-radio and a nice color screen. You can also ask for the unlock code for your current phone and go take it over to another carrier or use it in Europe pre-paid.

1) You don’t expect that you know every model of car or computer, so why expect to know every phone? As they say at Syms, an informed consumer is the best consumer. Check out the phone comparison tool at http://www.phonescoop.com to see the difference between the T610 and the T616. Also, read the forums at http://www.howardforums.com to find the early adopter point of view.

If you are too lazy to go to PhoneScoop , the difference is that the T616 supports the US-only 850 MHZ GSM, dropping the original GSM 900 MHZ band used in old Euro networks. It also supports 1800 (recent Euro GSM) and 1900 MHZ (North American GSM from T-Mobile, ATT, Cingular, Fido, etc).

Only ATT and Cingular support 850 MHZ GSM in the US. Due to the lower frequency it will penetrate buildings much better than the high frequency PCS phones.

2) If your T-Mobile contract is up, you have a lot of leverage with them. Call and ask for “retention” and they will likely offer you a Nokia 3650 (a lovely 900/1800/1900 GSM cameraphone with the Symbian Series 60 Smartphone OS & Bluetooth) for $95. You can also get the Nokia 6610, a 900/1800/1900 GSM w/ a built in FM-radio and a nice color screen. You can also ask for the unlock code for your current phone and go take it over to another carrier or use it in Europe pre-paid.

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