Mobile internet specialists Tweakker are centered around the idea that it should be as simple as possible to get your phone connected to mobile data services. In response to what it see’s as a serious lack of rules in the mobile internet market, the company has claimed that mobile phones are the new Wild West, and is calling for a set of Mobile Rights – and mobile users are being asked to vote on which rights they think they should have.
What’s the deal with Tweakker?
The service that Tweakker offers looks incredibly simple from the consumer side, but hides a lot of complexity. It automates the process of setting your phone up to connect to the mobile web. This is most important for people who have switched network but kept the same phone; moved to an MVNO or budget operator; upgraded to new handsets not supported by their network; or any other reason you might need to change the “out-of-the-box” settings on your device.
Using Tweakker, it can detect your network, phone model and ideal settings, and automatically deliver the new settings to your device. You don’t need to change a thing, it all gets done for you.
Tweakker also sells this service to MVNOs – by using the service, they can avoid having to field expensive customer care calls by doing the work for you as soon you put their SIM in your phone.
What are these Mobile Rights, then?
Tweakker is launching a survey today, comprised of 10 proposed “Mobile Rights”. Respondents are asked to vote yes or no to whether or not they want each right:
1. Freedom to change mobile phone and provider at any time
2. Freedom from long subscription contracts
3. Freedom from difficult to understand subscription plans
4. Freedom to enjoy unlimited access to a free mobile support toolbox of technologies
5. Freedom from mobile customer care that involves calling rip-off “premium numbers” or waiting in call-centre queues
6. Freedom to be treated equally no matter origin or language
7. Freedom to browse the mobile Internet without connectivity issues.
8. Freedom to choose the right kind of intelligent support to enjoy their phones and all their features
9. Freedom to easily access a free social mobile support platform where they can chat and help each other
10. Above all, freedom to enjoy being mobile
You can do the survey yourself here: http://tweakker.com/mobilerightsvote
What we think?
While I object to the propoganda-style, highly editorial language used in the “survey” questions, I can’t deny that Tweakker do have a point. The ability to seamlessly and easily switch from data network to data network (including when roaming) would be a major boon to mobile data users. I’m not sure that “long subscription contracts” will ever be a thing of the past, as they’re the closest thing that operators get to a steady paycheck – but I did vote “yes” to every single point on the survey. Then again, that’s kind of the point.
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While I love the way this article addresses the consumers voice I’m afraid what is being proposed just doesn’t make great business sense. If cell phone technology didn’t make someone money somewhere, they wouldn’t be a part of our everyday lives. Several business studies have concluded that these overage charges and hidden fee’s are essential to their revenue stream. They are not just punishments dolt out to customers bad behavior or ignorance they are an expected part of the businesses revenue. So why do they lie? Simple, because the average consumer is not willing to pay the real price of phone and services. So we find ourselves in a sea of hidden fees, overage charges, and or limited services that have been conjured up through clever marketing.
While I would love to see all the above occur in the market place we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to pay the real price tag for these services. And are we willing to pay the potential upcharge on them given relatively low garuntees on maintaining a continuous revenue stream from any given customer or group .over time.