It has been straightforward obvious to me since Skype came out, that phone co...

It has been straightforward obvious to me since Skype came out, that phone companies are dead. Land, wireless, whatever, they will just sell pipes and that is it. We do not need any services on our pipes that phone carriers could produce efficiently as monopolies.

The question in my mind is if you were AT&T, Verizon, or any of the other carriers what do you do? Your core business is dead. Your employees and managers all have skill sets and business networks in a dead industry that is still making enough money that you cannot let go.

I love my iPhone, but soon we will have great, great haptic devices for $40-$99 that will work on any wireless networks and access fees will just have to keep dropping.

We are very close to being able to call and text anyone anywhere for free. In act governments and municipalities I am sure would see net increased commerce if they simply put up open wifi in all populated areas.

But again what do you do as a large dinosaur? How would they reinvent?

Originally posted on Facebook on August 01, 2009.