This is surely due to cost of data. It baffles me that we have so much regulation and so many entrenched players that there is little room for competition, leading to higher prices. The question is, how do you prevent the natural monopolies of a finite resource (like wireless spectrum)? The first thing I could think of is stopping the Sprint - T-Mobile merger, but I'm not confident Sprint will keep its head above water much longer without it. Maybe it's better to have the airwaves resold? Or maybe not, as one of the big existing telcos will buy them at auction.
Can any one conceive of a reasonable solution to this? Ideally one which involves minimum government intervention.
I thought T-Mobile has been gaining more customers with their lower price and reasonable quality? And I have always assumed Sprint and T-Mobile merger will give T-Mobile more firing power to continue the fight.
I think people often view MNO in Cost / Data. In reality the Data is "free". The MNO will need a way to paid for everything from Spectrum, Telecom Equipment Lease, Rent, Fibre Connection, all of these are Fixed Cost. Unless something is different in the US I don't understand why the cost of Mobile plans are so much more expensive than European counterpart.
You can't have good internet speed, affordable healthcare and education for the same reason - they are entrenched businesses, and the government would rather back corporate profits than public good. And you can't build sufficient housing because previous owners block development in order to profit. The 1% must have their share.
Can any one conceive of a reasonable solution to this? Ideally one which involves minimum government intervention.