MuniWireless

T-Mobile Netherlands has finally announced the prices it will charge for the 3G iPhone (and subscriptions) in the Netherlands. Be warned: you have to sign up for a 2-year contract. I dislike these long contracts that mobile operators force people to sign.

No wonder MVNOs such as Blyk are attracting a lot of young people who hate long contracts with cancellation penalties. I think this is the wave of the future. And why doesn’t have a 1-year option for the iPhone?

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A study carried out for the European Commission reveals that Europeans are shocked by the extremely high charges they incur when they use their mobile phones and laptops for data access outside their home countries. They are also unhappy about the the lack of transparency related to the pricing by volume of data (megabytes) used.

Indeed, lack of transparency is a serious problem: most people don’t read the fine print on their mobile phone contracts. When the operators say they are selling you…

Chrysler will begin selling cars with built-in Wi-Fi (as an option) in 2009. You can work on a laptop in your car (not a good idea if you are driving) or let passengers use the network while on the move. The vehicles will use a cellular connection as backhaul. Buses and trains have already been offering Wi-Fi to passengers. I have written about bus and train operators in Europe and the US that have wireless access points that use HSPA…

Last week I complained about T-Mobile’s not-so-unlimited, “flat-rate” data plans for iPhone users in Europe: the nasty roaming charges, the unnecessary extra fees for using T-Mobile’s own networks in other countries.

Today, T-Mobile UK announced that it would be slashing European data roaming charges by 80 percent starting in August 2008, just in time for the summer holiday season (at least for the French, Spanish and Italians; Northern Europeans, like the British, the Germans and the Dutch, tend to go on holiday…

You can set up a citywide Wi-Fi network or nationwide WiMAX network, but if people don’t have portable devices that they love to use, they won’t care how fast or ubiquitous the network is. Today, Om Malik wrote a blog post on what he wants to see in an ultra-portable laptop. He has tried several devices but found them too heavy or too hot to use on a lap. So what does Om want: better battery life, less heat, more…

Always read the fine print, especially when it comes to mobile operators bragging about their latest 3G iPhone data plans. T-Mobile Germany says on its website: Freier Internetzugang mit unbegrenzter Datenflatrate (free Internet access with unlimited data flat rate). T-Mobile Germany is offering four types of “flat rate” monthly data plans: S for 29 EUR, M for 49 EUR, L for 69 EUR, XL for 89 EUR (as in small, medium, large, extra large). But as usual, one must read…