Published at LXer:

Part of the problem is the way carriers think they 'own' their customers. This can be seen in the way customers are forced into accepting specific bundles (eg, you can only have this much data unless you buy that much voice), nonstandard and crippled firmware (eg, no using MP3 files as ringtones), and more generous access to some sites than others (eg, search engines associated with the carrier). "The mobile operator-centric WAP-based ecosystem for applications has been challenged, unsuccessfully before," said In-Stat analyst Bill Hughes.

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