A Pact Against the Internet

This translation was generated automatically.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung published a wonderfully absurd article: “Pact against the internet giants”.

It describes how Telekom plans to save itself from Apple, Google, and Samsung with Firefox OS (!).

Mobile operators are tired of always standing in the shadow of the shining internet companies, of being nothing but the plumbers of the networks—the people customers complain to when YouTube video stutters on their phone.

Nothing against plumbers. The YouTube video stutters because Telekom resists peering and wants to charge Google instead of being a good internet participant.

With Firefox, mobile operators can still contribute, for example by making the software a little more secure. That also gives them a chance to return to their customers’ awareness.

That statement makes no sense.

And whoever is close to customers can eventually charge them again. That matters to Deutsche Telekom too. The company invests billions in network expansion, but the huge profits from all those services end up in Silicon Valley.

Where have I heard that line before?

Developers at Deutsche Telekom’s research labs also worked on the open software. They adapted the technology so that the Joyn messaging service runs well on it. Or so you can pay with your smartphone. These are services few people use so far, but Telekom hopes they’ll be the business of the future.

Joyn! Telekom’s future. Joyn!