Mobile industry wants less regulation, mooooar radio spectrum

5G could, er, bring an end to populism, said Vittorio Colao, Vodafone’s chief executive during his keynote address at this year’s Mobile World Congress. "We need as an industry to engage to make sure we build a better future for people. "5G combined with IoT really gives us a great opportunity to create alliances of …

[Pascal Monett]

"use of data is happening to them or with them?"

Well duh, it's happening to them. Especially since, when opt exists, it's always opt-out, never opt-in.

That isn't even the real problem. The real problem is they DON'T CARE.

The panopticon is happening because the inmates think it is shiny.

[ecofeco]

Of course they do

Don't they all?

[adam payne]

Otherwise, the refrain at the opening keynotes at this year’s MWC was: "Better Future". How this would be reached involves stripping away regulatory barriers, placing more radio spectrum into the hands of the mobile industry and "relaxing" data laws, said senior industry figures.

Give them an inch and they will take a mile.

Telefónica is also understood to be figuring out a way to pitch total data harvesting of customers' home lives as "empowerment", rather than surveillance.

Not quite sure how you can pitch data harvesting as in empowerment for people using you services.

Is there an opt out option? Will this be auto opt-in?

[Blotto]

Tech companies like amazon and google have managed to do it by getting people to buy listening devices they place in their own homes that constantly listen for their owners calling for them, with nothing to stop the devices listening to everything else too. I think the mobile companies want in on that type of thing too do they can make some money.

[Mage]

Amazon, Google, Facebook, MS, Uber, Apple etc

Need slapped down hard with % of turnover fines unless they stop their illegal data harvesting.

The Mobile & ISPs absolutely must not be allowed to "join the party". It's got to stop.

Everything you watch on HDMI connected players, Broadcast, apps, streaming, conversation potentially being sent to Google and often TV maker. Android TV needs banned and firmware updates to stop the spying.

Chrome, ChromeOS, Android, YouTube, all Google APIs & services, Analytics, scripted buttons on websites to Social Media. Kids Toys. IoT gadgets.

It's all beyond the nightmares of most dystopian SF writers ALREADY!

[Charlie Clark]

Finnish imperialism?

Marie Ehrlling, chair of the board at Finnish operator Telia

I think that might come as a bit of a shock to quite a people on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia! Telia Sonera is the result of the merger of a Swedish and Finnish incumbent.

[Anonymous Coward]

to pre-order a Subway sandwich, it uses "AI"

Sounds reasonable to me. The number of options available in a Subway sandwich multiplies exponentially as you move along the counter.

[Kevin McMurtrie]

Whatever

Headphone jack, microSD slot, and enough LTE bands to travel or I'm not buying it. You can get rid of the headphone jack when I can play music all day without it sounding like garbage or some battery going dead.

[Mage]

Mobile Greed

More coverage and better speed will only exist with MORE regulation. It's got too light. They cherry pick and build minimal number of base stations.

They are already underutilising the spectrum they have due to cells too big. Lack of regulation.

This is crazy.

Also having multiple PHYSICAL operators underutilises spectrum. There needs to be ONE infrastructure operator with licence setting minimum performance & 100% coverage. Raise "licence" revenue by sales tax on the retail operators selling access.

It's not like baked beans or beer where multiple "operators" makes sense, and need less regulation. Spectrum is very limited.

FCC, Ofcom & Comreg encourage the greed of these operators by not regulating enough and wanting to raise revenue by auctions of spectrum.