Content’s Still King, but Carriers Want a Coup

Convergence, telco 2.0, personal area networks, IP services, mobile Web, new business models — we all know the story, right? Or at least, the buzzwords? I submit this: Even if the industry got it together regarding transitioning the networks, hammering out intercarrier arrangements and getting back offices aligned in order to enable the transition to a world of pervasive IP and broadband, none of it would matter.

It’s really the business models and carrier culture that will be the last gating factor to a brave new world of IP services and personalized content. Specifically, service providers will have to learn to happily expose their networks to third-party applications, widgets, content — g’head, provide the service of CoS and billing, but ultimately ... leave the content to the guys that do it better. Like Google. And Apple. Even Facebook. And the other big Web-world names.

Eventually, as mobility and roaming create a sort of global, pervasive IP network (I know, I know, like in 20 years, but still) wholesale arrangements for service delivery will emerge; this is how network operators will make their money. They’ll also make money in the form of advertising delivery. Meanwhile, it’ll be the content guys feeding the marketplace with what consumers, professionals and everyone else wants and needs.

Or at least, it’s supposed to be that way. That’s certainly the gist of the open access discussion, and it’s nothing new. But in reality, I think it’s clear that operators are just paying lip service. For instance, can anyone tell me what’s going on with Verizon Wireless’ open development initiative? Nothing, that’s what. At least, nothing they want to let us know about.

Then there are the conflicted ones. Comcast, for instance, arguably one of the most well-known domestic content providers, is shooting its own future bread-and-butter model in the foot by throttling traffic on its own data network, making it seem as though it’s wrestling with two warring interests. What’s good for the goose I guess isn’t good for the gander after all. And did I just really say that? Wow. Paging Grandma.

Anyway, there are glimmers of some change: the Apple-AT&T Inc. arrangement is an effective relationship ... in fact, Mark Lowenstein over at Fierce Wireless speculates that a new era of a sort of MVNO 2.0 is on its way, being led by Apple and Google, partnering with network operators for transport, but ultimately being the face and the marketing muscle of the outfits. Of course, those arrangements (T-Mobile USA is set to pre-sell the first Google Android-based handset beginning in September — I’m excited) are based around hardware that has been optimized for specific applications. And they’re still exclusive arrangements.

Where’s the open sesame, yo? At the very least, let’s see a little more than just lip service. Maybe Sprint-Nextel/Clearwire will come through with WiMAX — they’ve pledged an open ecosystem. Not to be too cynical (who, me?), but let’s see how long they stick with that. I know they want to dump the subsidized device model, stat, but what about the content and apps?

Related Articles:

Android Platform May Soon Launch for T-Mobile

Google Mobilizes with Android

How Mobile Carriers Can Navigate the Open-Access World

Comcast Scolded for P2P Throttling, Ordered to Stop

Google Slams Bell Canada for Traffic Throttling

Can The Bandwidth Throttling/Net Neutrality/P2P Mess Be Cleaned Up?

FCC Tackles Comcast’s BitTorrent Throttling

Getting Edgy: IMS Needs to Expand Beyond the Core

Sprint-Clearwire Rides Again, LTE Makes Inroads

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines