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AT&T is currently developing a way to let developers pay for users’ data usage instead of users themselves.

Am I the only one who thinks that this approach is completely backward?

Developers are the ones who give straight to a platform, as I said in a previous article the problem with Android is its lack of killer apps if you put developers in a difficult position you could only lose something.

If developers have to pay for users’ data usage, they have only a few choices to keep cash flown (and to say on business):

  • Let the user pay more for the app itself, but it may cause more users to pirate software.
  • Add Advertising in every app and make them look like shit.
  • Add premium features and let them pay, but it could end up in not solving the problem at all - for development cost and for users who are fine with basic features and don’t wanna pay more money.
  • Creates more apps in the same period of time, but if they actually do so, there will be strong consequences on the quality of those apps.

Or they could simply block the apps to AT&T customers, I think that’s the easier way for them. It all depends on how much AT&T would ask.

Someone at AT&T should think wisely on consequences before come out with ideas like this one.

In my opinion, the disadvantages are much more relevant than the pros, also because all would end up again on users, so the main goal of this plan will vanish - maybe not because AT&T’s main goal is to make money.

Update:
Apart from AT&T other carriers at the Mobile World Congress announced that they’re considering the option to force bandwidth-heavy sites (hosting or video streaming site) to pay money to them, for the infrastructure, in order to be used by carriers’ customers.

I agree with ‘the verge’ on this, this is in violation of the net neutrality principle.
Here’s a quote from Jamie Keene

The question being raised here is at the heart of net neutrality — should carriers be allowed to treat some content preferentially over others? In the US, the FCC hasn’t committed to net neutrality on wireless networks, opening up the possibility that AT&T, Verizon et al. could follow the suit of these international carriers.

Every site should be treated the same way, if carriers are not able to enhance their data network it’s up to them. They should fire their millionaire manager and find a better one now.

Update 2: If it will pass it’s the end of the internet as we know it. .

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Valentino Urbano


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Valentino Urbano

iOS Developer, Swift, Writer, Husband

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