Released: February 09, 2007

Call to let your phone loose

Source: Charles Babington, Washington Post (Free Registration)

Until federal regulators issued a landmark ruling in 1968, Americans could not own the telephones in their homes, nor attach answering machines or other devices to them. Now, a growing number of academics and consumer activists say it’s time to deliver a similar groundbreaking jolt to the cellphone industry, possibly triggering a new round of customer options and technical innovations to rival the one that produced faxes, modems and the Internet.

Wireless carriers, which limit what customers may do with their phones, say the move is unnecessary and potentially harmful. But in articles, blogs and speeches, a number of researchers are asking why the companies are allowed to force consumers to buy new handsets when they change carriers, pay a specified carrier to transfer photos from a camera phone, or download ring tones or music from one provider only.

“At some point, I think Americans are going to put their foot down and say, ‘We won’t tolerate this anymore,’ “ said Dave Passmore, who has written extensively on the issue as an analyst for the Burton Group, a research firm.

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