I think the rapid change of new technologies will render many older, inefficient systems obsolete. As Austin's example pointed out, standard text messaging plans are one of the victims. But telecoms are not dead yet: they are the conduit by which startups deliver their new exciting apps to us the users. The App Store we see on our phones are run by Apple (for iPhones) and our carrier, which operate the "switch" ofthe apps that are delivered to the marketplace. They still exert much control over which text apps, for example, are introduced to their customers.

-- ThomasHou - 13 Oct 2011