Excerpt from a bigger-picture reality check; also see Facebook’s WhatsApp Deal Could Jumpstart Internet.org Plans (Re/code)
"There is a larger lesson in this story: When telecom companies control specific protocols on their lines — whether it’s texting, voice calls or even cable TV — customers lose out. And as soon as our devices get access to the open Internet, we have a bounty of competitive choices that reduce prices and improve service. What happened to texts is likely to happen to voice calls, too, in a few years’ time. Because of competition from FaceTime Audio, Google Hangouts, Skype and lots and lots of other Internet-phone services, few of us will worry about voice minutes anymore; for some, that might even be true today. And perhaps the SMS story will play out on TV, too. Cable is expensive and inflexible. Internet-based alternatives like Netflix and YouTube are cheap and available everywhere. In the long run, there is only one way that story ends."The Other Big Winner in the WhatsApp Deal: Your Wallet - NYTimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment