04.03.07
Build Your Own Mobile Network?
From TechCrunch comes word of a company called Sonopia. They promise to allow you to set up your own mobile network in minutes. As Michael Arrington says:
Sonopia uses Verizon to handle actual calls and data, and is effectively a reseller of their service. Users who set up a network for their affinity group (sports team, church, school, etc.) will receive 3-8% of the revenues generated from their customers (the percentage increases as the number of customers grows).
Users can choose from a few different phones and calling plans and can co-brand their own website to get people to sign up.
Almost as an afterthought, it seems, Sonopia tacked on social networking features to their site as well. Subscribers can add friends, create a profile, upload pictures and video from their phone, etc.
On one hand I think it is incredible that the software interfaces for the wireless networks have gotten to the point where we can clone them, Dolly like. However, I don’t understand how something like this will work. First of all, nearly every one I know enters into long term, draconian cell phone contracts. It’s not like a customer can easily jump from one plan to another. And – because the network affiliate is just piggy-backing on Verizon’s efforts – the plans are doomed to have inferior pricing, features, and phones.
There must be something I’m missing here that will allow customized personal mobile networks to exist; or is this for the criminally vain?