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."
(Score: 1) by glyph on Saturday March 01 2014, @01:16AM
Your dad still had the choice. Most national telcos sell phones retail, and that's fine. We have the choice to buy elsewhere. Back in the day most telcos SUPPLIED the phone, and you were forbidden from connecting anything else to their network. Technology was stagnant for decades. We don't want to return to those days, but you can bet carriers do.