Tethering Apps Are Now Being Blocked In The Android Market

[Dorian]

With AT&T you cannot even see the apps in the Market on devices... much less buy them. You have to change your device market fingerprint to see everything on the market. Right now I'm using the Nexus S fingerprint. :cool:

[SLAG IT!]

I understand your point. However, the problem is the same as with the cable companies and data usage. People get charged for over certain data amounts and not one complaint. A cellphone carrier tries compensating for consumers using two to three times the data and we all gripe. Why? And ever notice how we're always referred as consumers? You know what else is a consumer? Locusts and how much damage do they cause?

Sent from my HTC HD2 using Android.net

[alostpacket]

The difference is cable companies aren't trying to keep people away from software to use their connection.

Overage fees and/or metered billing is one thing, trying to keep people away from perfectly legal software is quite another. I think people do complain about cable company caps too but that's sorta beside the point.

I certainly understand that a ISP/Carrier deserves money for the use of their product. What they don't deserve (IMO) is the ability to advertise the connections as Unlimited* with an asterix putting limits on it. If they want to charge insane rates for truly unlimited, that's fine by me. If they want to advertise that there are no unlimited plans, that's OK too. Nothing wrong at all with various rate plans and limits. The problem is being told how you can use your data, and the false advertising that gets me frustrated. And it all comes down to the contracts that completely distort the market forces.

Consumers just aren't in a legaly powerfull enough nor informed enough position to enter into agreements with megacorps drafted by teams of lawyers. These artificial limits on how data can be used and what happens when the overage kicks in on your Unlimited* plan, are all hidden deep in the fine print.

So then the carriers want to give a nice low price for an "unlimited" contract, and then hide behind the legalese and strong arming of little software makers like PDAnet. Honestly if I were PDAnet, I would sue. I think they have (should) a case, esp considering the history of the carterphone/ hushaphone etc.

History is clearly repeating itself. These types of things hurt innovation.

I also find it hard to feel bad for companies complaining about their inability to meet infrastructure requirements when they are making record profits while other countries are quite ahead of us in terms of wireless bandwith. Sure I'm oversimplifying it, but the complaint that they can't figure out how to get their networks in order rings as hollow marketing to me. Basically they should be paying for more Dorians

These are the same arguments that were made against hushaphone and caterphone and found to have no merit.

Though my understanding of the practical limits of the spectrum is admitedly a bit lacking, so I feel I'm missing a peice of the puzzle in that respect. Still, they are in the business of selling wireless service, it's what they do. It's what they should be competing on. Not on who has the best lobbists or lawyers. Anyways I have babbled enough Back to coding apps and btw your avatar is awesome Slag


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Financial links:

AT&T was up 39% in Q1 from the previous year
T Annual Income Statement - AT&T Inc Annual Financials

VZ Q1 was up like 300% (if my napkin math is right) from the previous year (though that includes FiOS, and 50% of VZW or something)

VZ Annual Income Statement - Verizon Communications Inc Annual Financials

[Dorian]

^I approve everything said above.



It's true, spectrum isn't the issue. The issue is that carriers aren't willing to add backhaul to accommodate the subscriber base's total potential bandwidth. I give props to VZW here, because they have far better backhaul in most locations than most any other carrier, especially AT&T. We're rolling out fiber to most all our cell sites over the next year, that should dramatically increase backhaul.

[SLAG IT!]

So does that mean file sharing is legal and accepted? We all use it but last I checked it was illegal to be a company and allow free usage of file sharing. Else Napster would have won its case. They are not wanting to keep people away just pay accordingly. We all will complain and someone will about my response. I ask everyone how many local owned businesses closed in the last five years in your neighborhood? Also to explain why they did. Maybe it's because of consumers wanting something for nothing. Just a thought.

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