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A proposal to live in a free mobile telecommunications world |
| | 1. Open your mind and start the revolution |
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< | By the end of 2010 there were approximately 5.3 billion mobile subscribers according to the International Telecommunication Union. In our world, this means that mobile network owners have an immense power and control over the daily life of millions who must submit to the will and rules of Carlos Slim or his colleagues. Therefore, I considered that a change of the scheme is needed and technology advances are the way to achieve it. |
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> | By the end of 2010 there were approximately 5.3 billion mobile subscribers according to the International Telecommunication Union. In our world, this means that mobile network owners have an immense power and control over the daily life of millions who must submit to the will and rules of Carlos Slim or his colleagues. Therefore, I considered that a change is needed and technology advances are the way to achieve it. |
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< | Unfortunately, since there are diverse economical and political interests related to this industry, mobile network operators and the U.S government have opposed to this change through the years and will continue to do so this journey is not going to be easy. |
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> | Unfortunately, since there are economical and political interests related to this industry, mobile network operators and the U.S government have opposed to this change through the years and will continue to do so. |
| | Lets get started! |
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< | The first step to reach this objective is to understand that the world will not collapse when the network operators loose their power and that you are going to be able to make your mobile phone calls as always and maybe with better quality or other advantages. |
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> | The first step to reach this objective is to understand that the world will not collapse when network operators disappear, because you will have the possibility to make mobile phone calls, but in a different manner. |
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< | Technological improvements have forced mobile operators to start using Voice over IP (VoIP? ), also called Internet Telephony in order to process phone calls. In this scenario voice is transformed into data packets that travel through the Internet to its destination where it is change back to voice. This is the same technology used by Skype or Google Talk to perform their calls between computers or other devices. |
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> | Technological improvements have forced mobile operators to use Voice over IP (VoIP? ), also called Internet Telephony, to process phone calls. In this scenario voice is transformed into data packets that travel through the Internet to its destination. This is the same technology used by Skype or similar to perform calls between computers or other devices. |
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< | In that order of ideas, it might be a good question to ask why does we need a mobile operators if we are performing phone calls via Internet without their networks? Can you imagine having the possibility to be connected to a giant Wi-Fi network and be able to use a phone everywhere by just paying a minimum fee for the Internet access? |
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> | In that sense, it is necessary to ask why do we need mobile network operators if we already perform phone calls via other means like the Internet? Can you imagine having the possibility to connect to a giant Wi-Fi network and use a phone everywhere by just paying a minimum fee for the Internet access? |
| | 2. How to achieve the change? |
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< | Foster the usage of Wi-Fi enabled VoIP? phones (Wi-Fi phones) under super Wi-Fi environments. My intention is to gather technological improvements for a bigger purpose. Unsurprisingly, mobile network operators have underestimated this idea through the years, because they considered that it would represent a serious threat for their revenues. I consider this is a threat for their existence as we now know. |
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> | Foster the usage of Wi-Fi enabled VoIP? phones under super Wi-Fi environments. My intention is to gather two of the most advanced improvements in science for a bigger purpose. Unsurprisingly, mobile network operators have underestimated this idea through the years; on the ground that they considered that it would represent a serious threat for their revenues. Instead, I consider this as a threat for their existence. |
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< | 2.1 Super Wi-Fi networks |
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> | The principal advantage that can be obtained by this proposal is free local and long distance calls paying a minimum fixed fee for high-speed Internet access. |
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< | This is the concept of turning entire cities into wireless access zones and could be achieved by means of wireless mesh networks (WMN). A mesh in this concept is a series of radio transmitters that are able to communicate with at least two others, creating a cloud of radio signals through the city. |
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> | 2.1 Super Wi-Fi networks |
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< | Mainly and among the most discussed projects during the past years for the construction of wireless mesh networks are (i) municipal wireless networks and (ii) the Freedom Box. |
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> | This is the concept of turning entire cities into wireless access zones and could be achieved by means of wireless mesh networks. A mesh in this concept is a series of radio transmitters that are able to communicate with at least two others, creating a cloud of radio signals through the city. |
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< | Many local governments from around the world have done various initiatives to build citywide Wi-Fi network and fortunately in almost every continent there has been a successfully deployment. Further and recently considering its importance, the European Commission had submitted to the European Parliament a proposal to spend almost 9.2 billion euros from 2014 to 2020 on pan-European projects to give citizens access to high-speed broadband networks. |
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> | Mainly and among the most discussed projects during the past years for the construction of wireless mesh networks are municipal wireless networks. Many local governments from around the world have done various initiatives to build citywide Wi-Fi networks and fortunately some of them had a successful deployment. Even though, it is certain to admit that technological improvements are needed to obtain a high quality product, since poor quality or lost of signal can be generated by immense amount of traffic in the bandwidth or by bad climate conditions. |
| | In respect with the financial matters, the business model of local governments may vary between projects, but generally the service is rendered based on a fixed minimum payment that is adequately and proportionally divided according to each citizen’s income and that could be paid monthly or jointly with the annual tax payment. |
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< | In contrast from the positive previous statements, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission of U.S. have opposed this scheme due to their concern for the possibility to generate (i) unfair competition among private and public sectors in the wireless industry; and (ii) harmful interferences to local TV stations.
On the other hand, Freedom Box project is in full development through the promotion of their creators and in addition to the benefits listed for municipal wireless networks, among others, also avoids access and tracking user information and there is only a one-payment requirement to buy the equipment and not a monthly payment for the service.
2.2 Wi-Fi Phones |
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> | In contrast to benefit from its positive attributes, referring to the U.S. government as an example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposed to this scheme, among others, due to their concern for the possibility to generate unfair competition among private and public sectors in the wireless industry and harmful interferences to local TV stations. |
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< | Wi-Fi phones likewise as computers use VoIP? technology to make calls over an Internet Protocol network, instead of the ordinary Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), but with the advantage that they are a lot more portable. |
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> | The U.S. government dramatically changed its position about this topic when in 2006 FTC listed Wi-Fi first in its list of major technological used to provide citywide wireless Internet access, and then in 2010 FCC, in its National Broadband Plan, referred to Wi-Fi only as an important complement to licensed fixed and mobile networks. What happened between these years? There was a great pressure from telecommunications companies that even achieved that several states such as Pennsylvania passed laws restricting public Wi-Fi. |
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< | Particularly because of the rejection from mobile companies, diverse and massive production of pure Wi-Fi phones has not arrived to the markets. Nonetheless, you can buy a Linksys, Locktec or ZyXEL? phone with an open protocol for approximately US$90.00. |
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> | Moreover, some courts deferring to FCC’s interpretation, have ascertained that it has the regulatory authority over wireless Internet access points mounted on utility poles. This is another legal barrier to avoid the deployment of citywide Wi-Fi networks, because of its power to change the actual standards. |
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< | 2.3 Advantages and disadvantages
The two most important advantages and disadvantages from my proposal are the following.
Advantages |
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> | 2.2 Wi-Fi Phones |
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< | - Free local and long distance calls. |
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> | Wi-Fi phones likewise computers use VoIP? technology to make calls. This means that they do not need to be supported over the classical mobile networks architecture, they only need to be in a Wi-Fi covered area to start functioning. |
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< | - Minimum payment for high-speed Internet access for the citizens. |
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> | The rejection of mobile companies to this initiative have delayed the massive production of pure Wi-Fi phones or the development of new software that can be used in actual GSM, CDMA or WCDMA to allow the performance of phone calls over the Internet without having to be realized in a mobile network. Nonetheless, you can buy a Linksys, Locktec or ZyXEL? phone with an open protocol for approximately US$90.00. |
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< | Disadvantages |
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> | I believe that once the construction of super Wi-Fi networks start, the most important manufactures of mobile devices are going to turn their eyes into this new filed and build hundreds of new models of phones that will be supported only in the Internet network. I can guarantee that when that day arrives mobile networks will face its end. |
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< | - Poor quality or lost of signal because of immense amount of traffic in the bandwidth or bad climate conditions. |
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> | 3. Conclusion
You have identified that freedom does not exist with today’s mobile network operators. |
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< | - VoIP? usage in phones limits the possibility to determine the precise location of a person who calls emergency services. |
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> | Unless we try to change the regulatory policies conducted by the U.S. government by showing an evident interest in this matter, this situation would remain for many years, because it favors mobile operators power and income increase. You can try to cooperate to achieve my proposal or continue living submitted to the will of the owners of mobile networks. That is your choice. |
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< | 3. Conclusion
For the reasons stated above you have identified that freedom does not exist in today’s mobile telecommunications world. |
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< | Unless we try to change it, this situation would remain for many years, because it favors mobile companies power and incomes increase. You can try to cooperate to achieve my proposal or continue living submitted to the will of the owners of mobile companies. That is your choice. |
| | Information sources
- http://transition.fcc.gov/voip/ |