MediaVidea

What’s next in mobiles

It is not the iPhone and it is more than mobile search.

I am talking about freedom from the mobile operators. Mobile operators are equivalent of the Internet service providers cum telcos cum portals. They determine the data and the user experience of mobile users.

Net neutrality is an alien concept in the monopolistic environment of mobile telephony. The operator takes a cut of almost all content that flows in and out.

Now, here comes news that some of the world’s largest mobile phone networks such as O2 and Vodaphone in Europe plan to create their own search engine to shut out Google or Yahoo, or they may use of the two giant’s services.

I wonder when some smart guy out there will come up with an easy (almost all breakthroughs are simple and easy) alternative for us and free us from providers who seem hell-bent on locking down our choices.

I am no expert. However, some technologies that can help:

- Cheaper, widespread, Wimax networks.
- Mobile VoIP based on P2P principles
- Bluetooth (for example, Bluetooth enable servers at ATM like kiosks from where users can download data, etc.)
- P2P networks
- Secure Mobile data points
- Open mobile phones like TuxPhone, Moco

Hardware and software for above technologies are getting cheaper by the day.

Maybe, we can have free mobile services in the above scenario supported by advertising.

It is time for some disruptive action in the mobile business, making freedom from the carriers a reality sooner than we thought.

posted by Pramit Singh @ 3:10 PM