The future of voice in a 4G world

….Or at least how it should be. In America, two telcos control most of the frequencies set aside for 4G. Since they control the spectrum. We may not get what we should.

But what should we get? 4G should enable the untethered use use of any device that speaks IP. Period. In other words, it should be a wireless broadband port, just like your cable or DSL modem. With most of your apps in the cloud, you can move form device to device at will and still have your “stuff”. Devices would come in many form factors ranging from a handset - essentially an un crippled version of today’s smart phone, to a desktop computer, with every imaginable variation.  For example, imagine a dash mounted “net top” that could do everything the common car stereo does now, and run your net apps, as well as a few local apps. Your handset will not only be a phone you can buy a limited number of options for.  It will be an IP device that can be a phone, and you will decide who to get your voice service from, and how much (if anything) to pay for it. It will also access your apps and data in the cloud. You’ll stream your video, listen to audio from millions of diverse sources and be empowered. You’ll access your schedule, contacts, photo album, socially network and collaboratively work from whatever device you happen to  connect with at the moment. You’ll move freely and transparently from device one to another. No more trying to figure out what piece of intentionally crippled gear will do what or who has the app you want in their walled garden app store. Cloud based apps are platform independent.

Unfortunately, the entrenched wireless broadband providers are telcos. They still think of the universe in terms of voice, meaning every feature and service costs. That means if you find a way to do something besides voice on a device, you’re cheating them if you don’t pay them for it - even if it costs nothing. To make things worse, the regulatory fossils in Washington DC are equally backward thinking. So as long as 4G is controlled by the telco’s whatever service you get is very likely to look like phone service. Think of  it as  something akin to being forced to pay for a voice line in order to get DSL only worse. I hope more than anything to be wrong about this.

Where’s the fix? Not with the telcos, FCC or the Congress. If you’ve heard me cheering for the glimmer of hope WiMAX may offer, this is why.