mobile net neutrality update

ok, so maybe it's not a breakthrough, but every little bit counts.

there's little attention paid in the popular dialogue (such that there is) to the mobile side of the net neutrality debate. i've touched on it multiple times in the past, highlighting that in the current regulatory and market environment u.s. consumers are limited to a measly choice of handsets (from hundreds that are actually available in the market) and an equally-limited (and perhaps not terribly competitively-priced) selection of services, applications and content.

looks like we may have seen a chink in the armor last week... an interesting ruling came out of the copyright office (via, of all things, the librarian of congress) related to the digital millennium copyright act exempting "...certain classes of works from the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works." specifically of interest on the mobile front, the fifth of six announced exemptions: "computer programs in the form of firmware that enable wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telephone communication network, when circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network."

huh? well, in other words, there seems to be a recognition - however narrow - that in the current environment consumers aren't able to recognize the full benefit of their handsets due to locks on same and, as such, going forward, tinkering with software or firmware locks in order to liberate a handset for use on alternative networks is no longer a no no - at least for the next three years.

a chink in the armor indeed, but way arcane and for the moment probably of little benefit to the average consumer. nevertheless, it's a start. and i'll certainly stay tuned to see how this may also evolve to apply in terms of operator barriers related to mobile services, applications, content, etc.