Is there any way blockchain technology could make cellphone carriers irrelevant?

InwardContour

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Quote from: S4VV4S on June 22, 2014, 05:48:23 AM

Quote from: justusranvier on June 22, 2014, 05:32:08 AM

Quote from: Ekaros on June 22, 2014, 04:45:40 AM

This... And wifi isn't really a magic bullet for all data communications...

Nor are blockchain magic bullets for solving random problems, especially problems in no way related to distributed consensus.

LOL

On a side note, didn't Google buy plane drones so that they give "free" wifi?

By "free" I mean they want to control all your browsing habits.

Google provides "free" internet access so it can encourage people to use it's services more, generating more ad revenue for them.

Google's products are backed by google (duh), however there is not an entity that backs bitcoin, so there is no one that could finance the infrastructure for cell phones.

rext

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interesting, as in the concept of decentralized phone network.

Ludi

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I have absolutely no idea how you think the blockchain could be used to make phone companies obsolete, or do you just mean make a decentralized phone network?

S4VV4S

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Quote from: justusranvier on June 22, 2014, 05:32:08 AM

Quote from: Ekaros on June 22, 2014, 04:45:40 AM

This... And wifi isn't really a magic bullet for all data communications...

Nor are blockchain magic bullets for solving random problems, especially problems in no way related to distributed consensus.

LOL

On a side note, didn't Google buy plane drones so that they give "free" wifi?

By "free" I mean they want to control all your browsing habits.

justusranvier

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Quote from: Ekaros on June 22, 2014, 04:45:40 AM

This... And wifi isn't really a magic bullet for all data communications...

Nor are blockchain magic bullets for solving random problems, especially problems in no way related to distributed consensus.

Ekaros

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Quote from: PolarPoint on June 22, 2014, 04:39:03 AM

Mobile phone network is hardware infrastructure, blockchain is software protocol. You cannot access the network without the interface. We could make mobile carriers redundant if we have global free wifi, then that would just shift the choke point to broadband providers, which is more or less the same type of corporations.

This... And wifi isn't really a magic bullet for all data communications...

PolarPoint

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Mobile phone network is hardware infrastructure, blockchain is software protocol. You cannot access the network without the interface. We could make mobile carriers redundant if we have global free wifi, then that would just shift the choke point to broadband providers, which is more or less the same type of corporations.

S4VV4S

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Are you saying you want your private conversations stored publicly on blockchain?

justusranvier

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ShakyhandsBTCer

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It's Money 2.0| It’s gold for nerds | It's Bitcoin

Unlikely as the blockchain is not designed to handle the massive amounts of data that cell phone carriers handle.

greenlion

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It could revolutionize the friction of paying for service in such a way that service could potentially be seamlessly provided by a massively decentralized infrastructure owned by completely independent operators monetizing seamlessly through the device itself.

BTFjmwn

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Wifi, Internet, wireless cell technology, Bitcoin are all synergistically related - especially if you want mobility. Also, don't forget that the Bitcoin guru's talk about remittance, were users can have a bank in their cellphone anywhere in the world where there is Internet or cell connectivity. This cell phone bank doesn't work without wifi + Internet or wireless cell technology. Ignorance here is not bliss, but will continue archaic ways of life. Get with the program!!!

franky1

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its like saying is there away to send information without having to pay an internet service providor..

yea, 56k modem used as as fax machine.

unless you are going to build cellphone towers and position them across the planet. you kinda have to rely on cellphone netowrk companies.

what you should come to realise is that cellphone companies are 'becoming' redundant. think wifi think skype
the only pivot i can see is satalite phones or the old C.B radio's for area's that you dont want to have to deploy lots of wi-fi repeaters

SpontaneousDream

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Just wondering if this could somehow be possible in the future. No idea how this would work, I'm just majorly speculating. Could a DAC somehow do this?

I came across this on the front page of Reddit today:

http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/28js13/tmobiles_ceo_went_off_last_night_and_said_att_and/

and was reminded of how much these greedy cellphone companies completely (in the words of T-Mobile's CEO) rape their customers of money.

I would LOVE to live in a world where the blockchain somehow makes these companies totally irrelevant. Witnessing their downfall would be very satisfying to me

Imagine being able to buy a cheap phone and not having to worry at all about data, charges, plans, etc (while at the same time still being able to access the internet, make calls, text, etc).

Am I dreaming, or is possible down the road?

EDIT: Just to demonstrate how badly they're gouging us: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/shop/shop-data-plans/single-line-data-plans.html

Topic: Is there any way blockchain technology could make cellphone carriers irrelevant? (Read 888 times)