From: Michael Bender (Michael.Bendersun.com)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2005 - 16:31:43 CST

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Scott Guthery wrote:

> 1) The telecoms -- including Telia I''ll wager -- regularly download
> SIM applets with Cardholder PIN authorization so not only is there
> no "user in the loop" but the operators can read and send back to
> themselves whatever you put on your phone or in your SIM without
> you ever knowing it and regardless of what protection you think
> you've put on it. There are parts of the world where this is
> known as identity theft.
>
> 2) If you've ever tried to build a J2ME application you'd know
> that there is no evidence whatsoever that Nokia or Motorola creates
> better code than Microsoft or IBM. At least Microsoft asks you if
> you want the update. The handset manufacturers in collusion with
> the operators just push it to your handset whether you like it or
> not.

This is why we need to have legislation to breakup the stranglehold
that carriers have on phones, and to make cell phones a true
commodity where the marketplace determines the features, just as
we have with regular old POTS phones today.

Imagine if you wanted to add a phone to your home and you had to
get the phone company's permission to do so, and that you were
held hostage to the phone company's business practices so that
if you were with Ameritech your Donald Duck phone would have
working redial button but if you were with BellSouth you would
have to buy the "special" BellSouth version of the Donald Duck
phone that didn't have a redial function enabled since BellSouth
wanted to charge you 5 cents per call that was redialed using
their network equipment. (Not picking on Ameritech or BellSouth
specifically, just using them as an example).

Well, for those of you that have a Motorola/Verizon v710, you'll
know exactly what I'm talking about. Who owns the phone? Who owns
the data and software and feature set of the phone? Not the
consumer.

mike
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