For decades, U.S. cell carriers have crippled the American mobile ecosystem. Their nickel-and-dime mentality has hobbled user and device manufacturer alike. RIM’s BlackBerry nearly didn’t get off the ground simply because carriers couldn’t see a need to push email nor a way to squeeze more money out of users for the service. Ditto every mobile innovation from ringtones and wallpapers to mobile browsers and texting. Mobile broadband speeds are at a near-crawl in the U.S., compared to other countries, and carriers have spent too little, too late to keep pace.
