A new idea might cut the size of many phone bills, as usual though the devil is in the detail.
One of the hallmarks of the technology industry is the use of jargon; every few months a new buzzword or phrase comes along that captivates the industry and dominates the tech media.
A phrase that’s going to become common in the next few months is Heterogeneous Networks, the concept that mobile phones will be able to switch between phone systems and wireless networks without the user noticing.
Overnight the two major standards organisations agreed to work towards a common framework for phones to run these networks which also go by the name of HetNets.
For consumers the benefit with heterogeneous networks is they can reduce costs as phones automatically switch to cheaper, and usually faster, Wi-Fi hotspots.
The benefit for mobile phone network operators is that data demands are swamping their networks that were originally designed for voice communications. By offloading some of the load to private Wi-Fi systems they hope to manage their systems better.
Of course one should never underestimate a telco’s desire to make a buck and most telecommunications companies see the opportunity to make a few dollars out of offering the feature.
A major concern in putting together these systems is going to be security, using anybody’s Wi-Fi network requires a degree of trust and if a smart phone or tablet computer is accessing these without the owner knowing the risks are substantially higher.
These risks are even higher still if the banking and telco industries manage to convince people to use their mobile phones as an electronic wallet.
Seamlessly connecting to networks is one of the holy grails for mobile device manufacturers and software designers and it’s something that consumers will probably welcome when it becomes reliable.
For the moment we can expect to hear breathless articles about developments in the area and the promises from suppliers about the technology.
As usual the early adopters will leap in and suffer the usual disappointments and heartbreak that is life on the bleeding edge of technology.
Eventually though, long after the hype has settled down, these systems will become commonplace and expected by consumers.
Whether it makes more money for telcos though is another matter.