The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) sums up fairly concisely just what is up with the status of Google Voice on the iPhone.
If Google GIVES the Nexus One to all GoogleVoice customers, with some kind of incentive to move to T-Mobile, it will initially be AT&T who suffers. Do you remember the old days when incentives were paid to consumers to "Switch" their long distance carrier by MCI and Sprint. This was back in the days of Alternative Long Distance Dialing. It ended up creeping along until Judge Greene decreed that equal access to Long Distance carriers had to apply to all Regional Bell Operating Companies. That led to divestiture. When you look at it, you don't REALLY have a choice of long distance providers you can have with your mobile phone ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, unless you use an application that lets you dial around, call back, ring back, call through, etc. All those actually add seconds to your calling time, and without unlimited plans do eat into your bundle (think Pre-Paid users.)
My prediction is we will see the unbundling of Long Distance from your mobile plan, and the mobile operators will be forced to allow user to pick their long distance provider for calling. This will really help the international caller who uses their mobile phone.
Google Voice may end up being the martyr in the battle, but they will be remembered by those of us who do see and enjoy being a telecom revolutionary.
Andy, I disagree that LD will be unbundled from mobile service as the concept doesn't really apply to mobile phones (or SIP trunks). Defining a local/LD call is too difficult when you can place the call anywhere.
I do foresee unbundling of other mobile services - particularly service from phone subsidies - and term contracts being related only to phone subsidies. The cellular companies really had us when we could not port numbers - giving us a choice of carriers is a logical next step.
The mobile carriers are being very deceptive and tricky in their charges and it is very difficult to compare services. I buy my son 5000 texts/mo for $25. He went over and texted 6130 times (don't ask me how). The overage charge was $135 - totally nonsensical. They are abusing common sense. There is now way to ask enough questions (or get reasonable answers) so that carriers can be fairly compared.
The whole thing reminds me of how hotels raped "guests" on long distance for so many years. Now, they are stuck with phones in every room that are rarely used for any external calls.
Posted by: Dave Michels | December 25, 2009 at 10:53 PM