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strattitarius writes "Mark Zuckerberg met with top mobile and telco executives to address concerns that Internet providers are becoming "simple pipes" as apps like WhatsApp eat into high-margin over-the-top services such as text messaging and even voice communications. Orange SA CEO Stephane Richard stated "The risk for us is being excluded from the world of services".
It would seem that the telcos are realizing that they have been behind the curve as Richard stated "A service like WhatsApp, to be honest, that's something we could've and should've come up with before". Ironically in doing so, they basically make the case that they had every chance and advantage to create these apps and monetize them just as WhatsApp and Skype have done."
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Zuckerberg Dines with European Telco Execs
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I'm not a robot like you. I don't like having disks crammed into me... unless they're Oreos, and then only in the mouth.
-- Fry
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bucc5062 on Friday February 28 2014, @09:45AM
There is just so much in this little summary....First, the fact that Zuckerburg is sitting down with EU CEOs to talk tells me that the entry bar for becoming a CEO is actually pretty low. 10 years ago Z was a snot nosed kid pushing a social program onto college campuses and today he is rubbing elbows with EU Telco giants. Is he that much a wonderkinder, is having a few billion the way to get respect and entry into that club? On the other hand, there was an article that indicated to be a CEO of a major corporation you needed to be a ego-driven narcissist or border line sociopath so perhaps he is suited for the job. I never saw the movie, I never read much about him, but why is it that whenever I see anything about him I feel like I need a shower.
In regards to the summary, this is why the US public needs to push Obama and the FCC to change the status of these major broadband companies to common carriers. I fear it is too late, but if it does not pass, what I see is silos of information/apps building up, similar to the monopolies generated by cable companies in municipalities. In the future, Verizon has its own "services" and basically blocks use through heavy throttling or heavy charges to outside third parties like Netflix. The "Free Market" no long is free and the idea of competition is tossed out as major companies slice up the country.
To borrow a meme, in Soviet Amerika, Verizon owns you.
Having the CEO of Facebook chatting up with EU Telcos should really trouble EU citizens (and I would hope EU politicians). Obviously his motive is for profit, to squeeze every EU penny he can and by 'assisting' companies like Orange, he is the first parasite to try and suck off the blood of a new host. The US is drying up (or not producing enough food for the FB worm) so he will try to attach to Europe via Telcos/broadband and get around privacy laws any way he can.
Nothing good would ever come from Mark Zuckerburg's Facebook consulting with EU telecommunication companies except to enrich the pocket of the very few whilst fleecing yours.
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 0) by elgrantrolo on Friday February 28 2014, @10:14AM
Yes! That would be a valid criteria in my opinion.
Another one is that When Facebook becomes a messaging service for many millions worldwide, they certainly start qualifying as a player in the telecom field. A player that did not have to dig up streets and install cables all over the place, and therefore grew substantially with an effort that is quite different to that of the POTS companies.
The traditional players must be keen to find a way to push the market in a way that is not 100% sales for FB and 100% infrastructure and customer service costs for them.
I don't know who the parasite here is, probably they'll be talking about peering agreements so that when FB/whatsapp videochat becomes significant traffic they can all live together in peace, or with some rents to pay, like netflix.
(Score: 1) by tibman on Friday February 28 2014, @10:42AM
Gene Sperling and Todd Park replied to a petition over making ISPs common carrier. Basically saying the US President appointed the FCC chairman but has no control over him or the FCC (wtf!). You can see the whole response in the last few paragraphs here: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/reaffirm ing-white-houses-commitment-net-neutrality [whitehouse.gov]
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by bucc5062 on Friday February 28 2014, @10:56AM
Yes, I had read that, actually replied to the petition response and had posted it also on the other site (as S/N had not been born yet).
The official response to the petition was tepid, this opens the door for the People to push back harder and demand a more proactive response than "I wash my hands". I want to write to my representatives, but they are either Tparty extremists or at best, solid conservative republicans (I am neither) so getting the wording such that they may listen is difficult to create.
I'll leave it at that for just thinking about a future were ISPs get to dictate content over the internet is just sad and I need happy today.
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 1) by tibman on Friday February 28 2014, @12:28PM
It's rough when most of your national representation is by citizens that appose your view. I have called McConnell's office and let him know what i thought. They usually write nice letters back but are more informative than anything else : )
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(Score: 3, Funny) by isostatic on Friday February 28 2014, @10:53AM
Nothing good would ever come from Mark Zuckerburg's Facebook consulting with EU telecommunication companies except to enrich the pocket of the very few whilst fleecing yours.
That's OK, I have nothing left after all the other fleecing that's been going on.
(Score: 1) by rts008 on Friday February 28 2014, @05:08PM
"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose..."
The paradox is 'nothing left to lose' usually equates with a sensation of being backed into a corner.
"Facsinating, Captain." *Spock*
(Score: 1) by Buck Feta on Friday February 28 2014, @01:04PM
If you don't use Facebook, Verizon, or Netflix, then you are not part of the problem.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Dunbal on Friday February 28 2014, @01:48PM
There are deeper roots to the problem than this. Why do you use Netflix? Because it's one of the few "legal" alternatives to getting the content and only the content you want when you want it that is not ridiculously priced. Of course ISP's are going to bitch, the only model that makes sense to them is them choosing the content you get to watch. And of course content creators are going to bitch because they think their 20 year old episode of "Friends" that they have sold and broadcast countless times around the world still really is worth $10 per person per episode.
The internet wasn't designed for top down distribution but it is being forced into that model by the middlemen. So that episode gets streamed from a central location over and over and over again, instead of moving horizontally thought the net.