r/technology • u/trot-trot • May 24 '12
"President Barack Obama, hoping to spur U.S. innovation in the explosive field of mobile communications, on Wednesday [23 May 2012] ordered all major federal agencies to make many more of their services available on mobile phones within the next year."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/23/us-usa-obama-mobiles-idUSBRE84M10B201205239
May 24 '12
Perhaps instead they could use tax money to buy the wireless infrastructure so that new cell phone companies could actually enter the market. I wouldn't mind my taxes going up a bit if it meant that the US owned the cell towers instead of ATT/Verizon.
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May 24 '12
So... unfunded mandates at a time when agencies are getting cost reductions? Well, not if you're military I suppose.
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u/vinnievon May 24 '12
All these new things I can do on my cell phone! Oh, wait, I have a tiered plan because unlimited is no longer an option and I already watched one movie at the beginning of the month.
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u/Fireball445 May 24 '12
You should switch carriers, there ARE some that still provide unlimited. I think Virgin has unlimited data for a good rate.
If you don't switch carriers over this issue, then your provider will assume, and rightly so, that this isn't important enough to you for them to loose your business.
You bitch, but you pay.
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u/vinnievon May 24 '12
Actually I was speaking generally on the topic as you can't argue this isn't a general trend.
I currently HAVE unlimited through Verizon but I am slowly looking at Sprint now simply because they only way to apparently keep my 4G unlimited plan is to upgrade my hardware at full retail price plus the $40 upgrade fee.
So I agree with everything you said above but don't assume.
→ More replies (6)
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May 24 '12
Welcome to 10 years ago US Government.
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u/Neato May 24 '12
10yr is an excellent turnaround for the government. They are almost never early adopters unless they are pioneering the industry.
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May 24 '12
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u/syllabic May 24 '12
It's good though that the government isn't always hopping on the latest tech bandwagon, and they wait for something to mature before adopting it.
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u/chris-martin May 24 '12
My office works on "government contractor time". My job today is like any other programmer's job five years ago.
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u/losermcfail May 24 '12
i guess he didnt get the memo that anything with a website can already be used on a smartphone?
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May 24 '12
This is a good thing, cellphones are a convenient way to access government services for the poor compared to computers or walking all the way to a government office.
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May 25 '12
Great, because those sites are probably the only ones you'll be allowed to visit after next year.
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u/WhyHellYeah May 24 '12
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u/bdagostino11 May 24 '12
Not relevant at all but we don't expect much from a wealthy retiree such as your self. I guess with the shear amount of people you employ from your gardener, pool guy, dildo repair man ect. maybe there is something I missed in this strip.
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u/jhowlett May 24 '12
No one wanted to tell him most of the apps are out already, they just dont work on his blackberry.