Seems nice but is actually a terrible move. It's another step towards the presumption that everyone should have a smartphone.
Everyone should have a smartphone, just not necessarily a closed down and enshittified one.
South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
71–80 of 142 posts
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the height of the pandemic, the UK mandated zero-rating data for mobile connection to .gov.uk and .NHS.uk domains, along with several other charitable sites. (I was part of the team working on that proposal.)
meanwhile Czechia literally BANNED free Wi-Fi in restaurants and other establishments during COVID, so people will spend there less time, I understood the rationale if people already didn't have mobile data in phones anyway other things Czech gov banned during COVID-19 was singing in public places, no kidding! And I'm not even going to complain they banned sale of the toys, colored pencils and other items so people w…
> other things Czech gov banned during COVID-19 was singing in public places, no kidding!
So, wait, no Christmas carolling? Was this the doing of Babis? Then only the drunk shall sing in public places, mainly because they're too drunk to care.
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
> of lets say 200-300 USD for a somehow solid phone More like 30-50 USD, judging by the research I did in 5 minutes (or 20-30 USD if you agree to a used phone). No, I understand that Americans love to pay several times more for their houses, healthcare, education, coffee and everything else simply on principle, pretending that there are no other options, but you can literally google the largest phone manufacturers in…
> google the largest phone manufacturers in the world and look at the prices of their current starter models. for most people at the very low end of low income and low education group, this is a huge barrier. Look: I haven been neighbours with people who had to search their whole appartment for a working simple pen to take a note - when asking for it they looked at me like an Alien: Really poor and uneducated people…
Nobody is saying that the price of the phone isn't a barrier. What people are trying to tell you is that there's no need to lie about that price. If anything, using the real price makes it even more illustrative of how much being poor sucks!
Sure, phone choices in America are very limited compared to most of the world. But just go to walmart.com, seach for prepaid android and choose "New" condition. You'll see mainly entry level Motorola and Samsung offerings ranging from 40 to 200.
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#74Every country should do that.
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#75Seems nice but is actually a terrible move. It's another step towards the presumption that everyone should have a smartphone.
That's like saying that using tax dollars to pay for roads assumes that everyone has a car. MOST people do use things like government/taxpayer funded roads, public transportation, water, healthcare, etc that are considered as basic necessities. As far as everyone needing a smartphone, or e-mail address, that ship has already sailed. Here in the US, try using "Parkmobile" without a mobile phone.
> that ship has already sailed
"Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you what you are."
Anyways, if you actually just say, "I don't have a smartphone" you'll be surprised at how accommodating the world remains.
> try using "Parkmobile" without a mobile phone
Okay:
https://support.parkmobile.io/hc/en-us/articles/368547636077...
Was that supposed to be impossible?
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's like saying that using tax dollars to pay for roads assumes that everyone has a car. MOST people do use things like government/taxpayer funded roads, public transportation, water, healthcare, etc that are considered as basic necessities. As far as everyone needing a smartphone, or e-mail address, that ship has already sailed. Here in the US, try using "Parkmobile" without a mobile phone.
> That's like saying that using tax dollars to pay for roads assumes that everyone has a car. Well once the government subsidizes roads they proliferate it and becomes more difficult to exist without a car. Your example supports my argument. >try using "Parkmobile" without a mobile phone. I would never, ever try using "parkmobile"
They are hard to avoid. Where I live in northern NJ the on street parking is all Parkmobile. At the Jersey shore where I go the beach parking lot is Parkmobile. Just got back from Tampa - more on-street Parkmobile (ditto Clearwater & Sand Key, incl. town-owned public beach access lot).
No doubt you can avoid it if you really want to, but they seem to be everywhere.
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#77Crazy, I've never heard of such a plan anywhere. But given how essential the internet is to everything we do on a daily basis, that makes a lot of sense. However, I would like to see the existing situation that lead to this decision. Were there many people who couldn't do things anymore due to lacking internet access? Was there public pressure to do this or did they just think it a good idea? My assumption so far was…
> But given how essential the internet is to everything we do on a daily basis, that makes a lot of sense.
Well, water is certainly more essential, yet it isn't free.
Food isn't free. Shelter isn't free.
Besides, the services you'd use over this free connection aren't (necessarily) free.
Its not unreasonable to suspect some other agenda, like easier propaganda, subsidising of social media, ...
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is not net neutrality, all network traffic is not treated equally. Ofcom seems to have invented their own definition of net neutrality and placed it on that website, but calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. This is tiered access.
It doesn't meet a perfect theoretical definition of net neutrality, but it's a set of defined legal limits on the extent to which providers can treat different kinds of traffic differently.
Ok but the main limit people care about is music and video streaming being treated differently
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
It doesn't meet a perfect theoretical definition of net neutrality, but it's a set of defined legal limits on the extent to which providers can treat different kinds of traffic differently.
Ok but the main limit people care about is music and video streaming being treated differently
What would be the model of a country with stronger net neutrality laws? I think EU regulations are now a touch stronger than UK regulations due to post-Brexit divergence, but by world standards, the UK has strong net neutrality protections.
Re: South Korea introduces universal basic mobile data access
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is not net neutrality, all network traffic is not treated equally. Ofcom seems to have invented their own definition of net neutrality and placed it on that website, but calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. This is tiered access.
It doesn't meet a perfect theoretical definition of net neutrality, but it's a set of defined legal limits on the extent to which providers can treat different kinds of traffic differently.
Net neutrality is not theoretical, it is literally the default setting.
Any deviation from that default requires special effort be taken to identify network traffic and treat it differently, and as soon as you have made that effort you cannot truthfully claim to have net neutrality. The UK does not prohibit net neutrality but it does not require it either (according to the comment I replied to which I have not verified).