T-Mo May Free T-Zones

It's no secret for anyone follow Onxo that I think wireless providers are evil, though necessary evil, and, for the most part, hinder progress, innovation, and competition.

Like the recent deal T-Mobile forced Google into with G1.  Pure evil.  Then they go and think about doing this:  opening up T-Zones.

But keep in mind, this is not because they want to.   They have a reason to open it up.  I use T-Zone on my Samsung Trace and it's trying to breath through those straws used to stir coffee.  My mom uses it with her unlocked iPhone to play games and check e-mails stocks.

So, what's the reason?  According to Gear Log, it has to do with their own app store.  This is likely the result of their European version of the T-Zones, Web n' Walk, that allows European subscibers more liberal access to the Internet with their phones.

And guess what?  It's okay.  Customers like it and are happy.

We'll likely see this happen next month.

Impact on users:  We yet to see anything concrete in this manner from ATT and a bit from Verizon with their widget based apps.  However, T-Mobile has gone ahead with their own app store.  As much as they like to claim about being 'open", don't be fooled.  Wireless providers' defintion of "open" is not the same as ours.

However, it still is a welcoming crack in their walled garden.  Who do we have to thank for that?

The iPod.  If not for the popularity of the iPod, Apple would have no iPhone and Google like would have a harder time selling Android.  Google's vision for Android is also largely valid in theory, if not in practice.

Source:  Gear Log