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When do the patents expire?When do the patents expire?Posted Feb 25, 2009 3:36 UTC (Wed) by eru (subscriber, #2753)In reply to: When do the patents expire? by jonth Parent article: The trouble with OpenBTS If you want to go with a 1991 standard network, you'll get voice at crappy quality and that's about it. The voice quality problems of the 1991 GSM were mainly implementation issues in the first generation equipment. Also, text messages and 9600bps circuit-switched data were already in the original specs (although not initially implemented). For the archetypical "cellular service for the poor rural masses", even these features should be plenty. More could be added as the patents expire...
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When do the patents expire? Posted Feb 25, 2009 13:53 UTC (Wed) by chsnyder (subscriber, #52714) [Link]
Indeed. One could do A LOT with wide-area 9600kbps wireless data coverage and/or free sms, now that we have tiny linux devices that can speak to those networks.
As with any other industry where service providers build a wall of IP around their offerings, the innovation that comes with casual use is stifled in favor of a few narrow channels of maximum profitability.
One needs only to look at Twitter to see that there is enormous value to society in free short mobile messaging services. Someone could have realized that back in the 90s, and probably did, but the phone company's business models prevented most people from thinking of sms that way. How can you imagine building a city- or region-wide sensor network on top of gsm services when each node would cost $30/mo plus 25 cents per message? You can't.
Change the cost per node to $20/year (or free!) and it becomes doable.
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