While having my work slow down on a collaborative BIM project, about six months ago I had to discontinue my Cable, Home Phone, and DSL Broadband connection.
(I didn't even know the number to my home phone, since I never used it, and had to set up a google voice redirect just to be sure to use it once in a while to take advantage of the privatized Cablevision monopoly & triple package.)
After finding this out I went on my smartphone and downloaded VZAccess Manager.
I also did some research on my phone with skyfire, and learned some disturbing facts about how we are being treated like children -- or typical Americans, as we are being told not to worry about the back end of things, unless you put the time into reading and re-reading the fine print with a magnifying glass.
My MS phone used to have a piece of software preloaded on it that allowed free internet sharing allowing you to tether your phone to a computer through usb/bluetooth/and another program to make the wifi receiver a wifi hotspot. I found that Verizon/Vodafone must have asked Samsung to remove that feature as their network could not handle their marketing claims with the unlimited disclaimer.
I used my USB cable to download all the information I was sending through my phone and sent it through ActiveSync to my flash card on my phone, and uploaded via my phone's unlimited data plan.
It was slow, spotty & failed almost every time I tried loading files larger than 3 MB. Meanwhile being used to ftp transfers of several gigs at a time, this was quite the adjustment.
I had to relearn the old net protocols for reducing wasted bandwidth that I had forgotten as soon as I had something comparable to a T1 line when I was stuck working at home; It reminded me of the time I went to Japan for two months before starting college.
In a very rural part of Osaka, there wasn't a lot of demand for supporting hardline broadband. Whenever we were checking email we would sign on; download our email; sign off. After reading and writing replies to our emails we would sign back on; send; and sign off. On the flip side every teen out there had a sleek cellular phone with amazing capabilities with music writing software, non-network photo sharing, and all the personalization of the iPhone ten years before it was on any network that supported bloated applications.
If the iPhone is any indication on how we are using communication tools, as we have in our entertainment and insentient need of bandwidth to support it; it is no wonder no one wants to claim responsibility for having Congress pass a new telecommunications bill, or reclassify broadband under a necessary service without spelling out the details -- without first thinking of the sustainability of having just one electrical system to support the local infrastructure.
Telecomm companies double talk of up speeds and downspeeds is constantly evolving to support a bigger infrastructure, which has become a necessary part of many people in the working world.
One solution I can see is to properly educate the public to reduce all of the wasted i/o we produce -- Beaming infrared is very slow and inconvenient and syncing bluetooth is lax in security.
If we had more transparency and feedback from the competing Telecommunication companies. Or had Telecommunication Providers run themselves like Alltel tried to by providing home business alternatives built into the base packages; Then some of the problems could be solved without having to pass another law about changing the traffic priority.
Just like how 'Woz' and Jobs fought the system in their youth by selling blue boxes from outside the back of their car, the real rebellion was that of not having a voice and being forced to support an infrastructure they didn't have a say in. Business models have changed to provide comprehensive and personal customer service because of this in my field of expertise.
Now Apple has integrated it's approach with other like-minded companies managing multiple design tools and specialties, thanks to what Jobs learned through his pursuit of usable technology & other companies like Google have tried to solve. An Example of Google's mentality are the bandwidth reduction protocols with their free alternatives and cloud computing browser; Google Labs also has Offline / 'Flakey Connection Mode' add-ons for Gmail.
If each company rather than overcharging and punishing individuals for using their networks in ways that they did not anticipate as, within reason, or if they turned the problem around and saw it as possible beta testing for improving their statistical data; That would be better than fast forwarding through another commercial that has a price with an asterisk on it. Something I would sit through and watch and draw my attention, something the internet is getting quite good at as a medium and communications platform.
If people are going to complain and shoot their mouth off, they should really check their pretension before sounding off on the internet.
If the companies explained to it's consumers that they are offsetting the cost of supporting the infrastructure through overages like when SMS and MMS first arrived, then they could spend their advertising money wisely rather than only reaching the generalized public. Something they have started doing by 'smart' advertising on Hulu, and Hulu Plus.
My phone's screen calibration is faulty, like most smart phones now that are manufactured to the lowest bidder; often not even meeting the lowest OEM standards. At first having to reset the calibration once a week, then everyday, then just having to use the optical mouse to type and navigate, it did make me slow down and think more about what I was typing and the overall content of the message, as per the audience intended, within a vernacular we both could relate to.
Hopefully future products of America won't have to mean replacing entire packages, systems, or tools just to turn a profit on developing future technology. It is about time the techno intra-connected culture of 'Techgnostism' matured in its young 40 year history as a viable communication and professional platform tool.
Whenever there is a legitimate problem such as a mine collapse or terror threat, cellular companies deploy temporary cell towers to help Police, EMT's, and volunteer's help communicate with each other via cellular networks -- Because many local standards have advanced without much forethought.
Circling back to my main point -- due to faulty advertising and horrible training for customer service/sales - The next business phone I get is going to be a global phone, a blackberry, or I am going to switch to another service provider.
Verizon Global Phones:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2elfy7c
A link to the FCC's blog on broadband:
http://blog.broadband.gov/
(It explains why the FCC is sinking money into getting WiMAX available in more cities, by sinking money into Sprint and other smaller competitors)
Corporate Responsibility is something that AT&T, Verizon, Nextel, Sprint, and other competitors are finally starting to teach to everyone that works for them. We are getting less Digitally Distracted as a Nation.
