Message-ID: <692a1ead@news.ausics.net> From: not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) Subject: Re: The "Standards" Game Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.comp.os.windows-11 References: <106mke5$1di32$1@dont-email.me> <106v67a$1cgol$1@news1.tnib.de> <106vfvv$3bpmd$1@toylet.eternal-september.org> <106vi4r$3c9cr$2@dont-email.me> <3ihcmlx47d.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <1070cqj$3jkmu$1@dont-email.me> <1071hu3$1idk1$1@news1.tnib.de> <9fjemlxbio.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <6jefmlxb6j.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <10884l7$173em$1@dont-email.me> <1089ge2$1fvl9$8@dont-email.me> <10g52v4$3o78s$4@dont-email.me> <10g7bqf$j278$2@dont-email.me> <10gd4jq$2ptu7$4@dont-email.me> User-Agent: tin/2.6.5-20250707 ("Helmsdale") (Linux/2.4.31 (i586)) NNTP-Posting-Host: news.ausics.net Date: 29 Nov 2025 08:14:05 +1000 Organization: Ausics - https://newsgroups.ausics.net Lines: 49 X-Complaints: abuse@ausics.net Path: csiph.com!news.bbs.nz!news.ausics.net!not-for-mail Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:78030 alt.comp.os.windows-11:27662 In comp.os.linux.misc Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote: > On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:02:34 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote: >> GSM was designed by committee and it is a wonderful thing the entire >> world has adopted. Even the USA dumped their own system(s) and >> switched lovingly. :-D > > No need for a smiley. The Reagan-era USA chose to "let the market > decide" in terms of mobile telephony standards, and ended up with a > babel of incompatible networks. The EU decided to come up with a > common standard that was so good, it was adopted in much of the rest > of the world. > > We would take it for granted that we could buy a phone, and then > choose which carrier to connect it to, by buying the appropriate SIM > from them. The idea of having to choose a carrier first, and then buy > a phone from them, seemed pretty alien. Only to you, a quick web search shows phone network locking looks as common in NZ as it is in Australia. That standard you love built in a system to enforce exactly that problem of needing to choose a phone to match the carrier. Frequencies also vary between networks and some phones didn't support other network's 3G frequencies in Australia even after they'd been unlocked. Though for 4G they seem to have all settled on a more common set of frequencies. A common standard also means there's no competition when they come out with a dud like 4G. My mobile broadband internet at home now dies much more often since 4G reception is useless and they turned 3G off a year ago with assurances there'd be no reception issues. Using mobile phones where I live is back to the old days of needing to go outside and find a good spot. Plenty of news articles reported about it all over rural Australia and the telcos just pointed at their BS coverage maps and said it's not a problem. The government said they'll get everyone to use StarLink from phones in rural areas, and of course I've heard nothing more about that stupid idea. > I remember, in the early days of Android, when new models came out > from Samsung, HTC, Oppo or whoever, they could be available throughout > the GSM world in about a couple of weeks, while American users had to > wait for adaptations specific to their various networks to be > produced. For people who crave the latest shiny thing that might matter, I guess... -- __ __ #_ < |\| |< _#