Vonage Says VoIP Providers Should Get Direct Access to Numbers

Vonage has asked the Federal Communications Commission to allow it and other VoIP providers direct access to phone numbers, a move Verizon and AT&T say they support, so long as VoIP providers are subject to the same rules as the incumbents are. 


Competitive local exchange carriers object, on the grounds that VoIP providers would gain business advantage if the FCC were to grant the request. As typically is the case, the changes are viewed as conferring business advantage to some contestants, compared to others. 

Canadian Broadband More Expensive Than U.S. Broadband

Canada’s broadband fees were lower than those in the United States in 2007 to 2009, but as a result of large increases in usage during the past two years, and generally small usage caps, the average Canadian broadband subscriber paid 3.9 percent more in 2011 than the average U.S. subscriber did,  PwC report says.


Differences in average prices between nations and regions are not unusual, in any segment of communications. But the study does suggest that growing usage, smaller caps and the need to upgrade to bigger tiers of service are having an impact in the Canadian market. 

Medical Personnel Conflicted about Mobile Health Apps and Services

A recent consumer survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit found consumers more convinced of the value of mobile health technologies than health providers.

Roughly half of consumers predict that within the next three years, mobile health will improve the convenience (46 percent), cost (52 percent) and quality (48 percent) of their healthcare.

But 60 percent of consumers said they believe doctors are not as interested in mobile health as patients and technology companies are, PwC reports.

About 64 percent of doctors and payers said that mobile health business models are unproven. And some would say that apparent consumer interest does not translate well into actual sustained usage. The study found that more than 66 percent of consumer respondents who have used mobile wellness or fitness applications with manual data entry discontinued it after the first six months.

Some 13 percent of physicians actually discourage use of mobile health apps. Also, some 42 percent of doctors worry that mobile health options will make patients “too independent.”

Also, it appears that mobile heatth might actually reduce patient visits, which has negative revenue implications for health professionals.

Among consumers who already are using mHealth services, 59 percent said they have replaced some visits to doctors or nurses. Also, although more convenient access to their doctor or healthcare provider is seen as a mobile health advantage by 46 percent of respondents, some 43 percent believe it w2ill reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs. That means less revenue for health professionals.

Burger King Corp. Tests Closed Loop Mobile Payment App

Burger King Corp. has launched a pilot program to test its new mobile payment application in select restaurants in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area., using a closed loop approach similar to what Starbucks does, signing up users to a branded prepaid card, then linking linking the mobile app to the card. 


The "BK Mobile Crown Card" program will be tested at about 50 restaurants in Salt Lake City, Utah area. The test will use quick response codes as the communication method between iOS and Android devices and the point of sale terminals. 


All such experiments are early versions of what might someday be more elegant in approach. The difference between scanning a prepaid card, a standard credit or debit card, and using a mobile that does the same thing, might not be so compelling that most people will want to do it. But the behavior is probably the key reason for using such approaches.


Getting people used to the idea of using a mobile as a payment mechanism is a habit that will have to be created. 

Tablet Gamers are Older

The average age of a U.S. or U.K. mobile device owner who has played a game on the device in the past month (”mobile gamer”) is 39.5, while among those only playing games on a tablet, the average age is 44.7, according to PopCap. That is not too surprising, if you assume older people can afford a tablet more easily than younger consumers. 


Some 16 percent of mobile gamers are 55 or older, while roughly two thirds are less than 45 years old.

Mobile Phones Key to Reaching U.S. "Underbanked" Consumers

There is good reason to believe that mobile devices could become a key means for "unbanked" consumers in U.S. markets to avail themselves of banking functions. The reason is the substantial use of mobile devices by "underbanked" consumers, according to Javelin Strategy and Research. 


Though mobile payments and mobile wallet efforts are seen as the bigger part of mobile financial services opportunities, there is a substantial opportunity to reach people who do not have checking or bank accounts.


Javelin defines the "underbanked" as U.S. adults without a checking account, while unbanked consumers do not have a banking account. 


There are an estimated 35 million U.S. adults (15 percent of the U.S. population) in those categories.

Is YouTube the Future of Smaller "Cable Channels?"

As cable operators and other video distributors grapple with ways to limit the cost of some packages, in response to growing consumer unhappiness with the cost of subscription video, will YouTube emerge as a primary distribution partner for smaller networks that might find themselves unable to gain or keep carriage on cable, telco or satellite video services?


Some, including YouTube, think so. YouTube is exploring selling subscriptions to access to some of its video offerings, potentially providing a way for certain cable channels to be available outside the traditional "bundles" offered by cable network providers, said YouTube CEO Salar Kumangar. 


Cable channels with smaller audiences will have a tougher time gaining carriage as video distributors create lower-cost tiers of service offering fewer channels, one might argue. If so, those network might be forced to seek carriage on platforms such as YouTube.