#Telecom Reform

[hindustanherald]

India Gives Starlink the Green Light — What It Means for Digital Access

Big move in India’s telecom space this week: Elon Musk’s Starlink has finally received its GMPCS licence from the Department of Telecommunications — officially allowing it to offer satellite internet services in India.

Why this matters? Because for millions in remote, hilly, and underserved regions, this could be the first time they get reliable, high-speed internet. Starlink will use low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites to beam internet directly to ground terminals — skipping the need for mobile towers or fiber cables.

In a country where many still have to climb rooftops or walk kilometers just to get a decent signal, this is a potential game-changer.

According to the full report by Hindustan Herald, here’s what you need to know:

Starlink joins OneWeb and Jio-SES as licensed satellite operators in India

Service rollout expected within 9 months

Focus: Rural India, remote schools, e-health centres, disaster zones

Pricing may be under ₹850/month

Regulatory debates on spectrum allocation still ongoing

📎 Full article here: 🔗 https://hindustanherald.com/starlink-india-licence-approved-satellite-internet-rollout/

[mariacallous]

The US Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to lower price caps on prison phone calls and closed a loophole that allowed prison telecoms to charge high rates for intrastate calls. The vote will cut the price of interstate calls in half and set price caps on intrastate calls for the first time.

The FCC said it “voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to 90 cents from as much as $11.35 in large jails and, in small jails, to $1.35 from $12.10.”

The new rules are expected to take effect in January 2025 for all prisons and for jails with at least 1,000 incarcerated people. The rate caps would take effect in smaller jails in April 2025.

Worth Rises, a nonprofit group advocating for prison reform, estimates that the new rules “will impact 83 percent of incarcerated people (about 1.4 million) and save impacted families at least $500 million annually."

New Power Over Intrastate Calls

The FCC has taken numerous votes to lower prison phone rates over the years, but Thursday's is particularly significant. While the FCC was previously able to cap prices of interstate calls, an attempt to set prices for intrastate calls was struck down in court in 2017.

Prison phone companies could sue again. But the FCC said it now has authority over intrastate prison phone prices because of the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which was approved by Congress and signed by President Biden in January 2023. The new law "empowered the FCC to close the final loopholes in the communications system," the commission said.

The 2023 law—named for a grandmother who campaigned for lower prison phone rates—“removes the principal statutory limitations that had prevented the commission from setting comprehensive just and reasonable rates," the FCC said. Specifically, the law removed "limits to the commission's ability to regulate rates for intrastate calls and video communications."

More than half of prison audio call traffic is intrastate, with the calling and called parties both in the same state, according to data in a draft of the FCC order released before the meeting.

The FCC's work to reduce prison phone rates "was not always embraced by the courts," FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said. "We were told—over and over again—that the commission did not have the authority to address every aspect of these rates, because while interstate calls fell within our jurisdiction, intrastate calls did not."

Previously, the FCC imposed price caps on interstate calls ranging from 14 to 21 cents per minute for audio calls, depending on the size of the facility. Going forward, a uniform set of price caps ranging from 6 to 12 cents per minute will apply to both interstate and intrastate calls.

Ban on Other Fees

The FCC also adopted video call rate caps for the first time. The video call caps range from 11 to 25 cents per minute. These caps are classified as "interim" and could be lowered in the future.

Other fees will be prohibited, too. “Using this new law, we fix what has been wrong for too long," Rosenworcel said. “We reduce calling rates by more than half. We stop tacked-on costs like ancillary fees and prohibit special fees for site commissions. We make clear these policies apply to both interstate and intrastate rates. We also set rates for video calls for the first time. On top of that, we strengthen accessibility requirements for incarcerated people with disabilities and improve consumer disclosures.”

Site commissions are payments that phone companies make to prisons and jails in exchange for the exclusive right to offer service to inmates. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said that banning the commissions will "end the practice of provider kickbacks to correctional facilities and payments for costs irrelevant to providing services so callers will no longer be forced to bear the financial burden of these costs."

The nonprofit Prison Policy Institute said that prison phone companies charge ancillary fees for things "like making a deposit to fund an account." The ban on those fees "also effectively blocks a practice that we have been campaigning against for years: companies charging fees to consumers who choose to make single calls rather than fund a calling account, and deliberately steering new consumers to this higher-cost option in order to increase fee revenue," the group said.

The ancillary fee ban is a “technical-sounding change” but will help “eliminate some of the industry's dirtiest tricks that shortchange both the families and the facilities,” the group said.

FCC: Revenue Will Still Exceed Costs

The FCC's draft order said that even with the new caps, potential "revenues for eight out of 12 [Incarcerated People's Communications Services] providers exceed their total reported costs when excluding site commissions and safety and security categories that generally are not used and useful in the provision of IPCS. These eight firms represent over 90 percent of revenue, 96 percent of [average jail and prison population], and 96 percent of billed and unbilled minutes in the data set."

Worth Rises said that the "primary factors driving the FCC's lower rate caps is the exclusion of security and surveillance costs as well as the exclusion of commissions. For decades, the cost of an ever-expanding suite of invasive surveillance services has been passed on to incarcerated people and their loved ones. With [the] new rules, prison telecoms will be barred from recovering the cost of the majority of such services from ratepayers."

The price-cap order was fully supported by the FCC's three Democrats and Republican Nathan Simington. Republican Brendan Carr approved in part and concurred in part, saying he had concerns about the rate structure.

[theculturedmarxist]

Every single "oh please OH PLEASE get out and vote they're so important 🥺" post I see just drips with idealist nonsense. They have no idea how politics work. They have no idea how their government works. They have no idea how political parties work.

Absent an overarching political program, none of this bullshit matters. You can vote and vote and vote, and it doesn't fucking matter one single fucking bit because as long as you're voting for a bourgeois party, you're never, not ever, going to get what you want.

The Republican and Democratic parties are political machines designed to generate outcomes favorable to their donors. Unless you're a millionaire, they don't give a shit about you or what you want, because what you want is diametrically opposed to what millionaires and billionaires want, which is to keep all the misery and oppression of society in place, so that they can keep on being rich and powerful.

Let me give you an example. The USA has some of the worst internet in the world. It's already dogshit if you live in a city, and outside city limits it drops off a cliff and gets worse the further out you go. This was supposed to be fixed when the federal government provided the telecoms with huge subsidies to go out and build rural internet. Instead they took the money and just didn't do that, because it's a lot more profitable to just take the fucking money and then pay whatever piddling penalty they might get slapped with.

Mount Airy, NC, decided to do something about it. They built their own municipal broadband. It was the cheapest and fastest internet in the state, and probably still is. Time Warner Cable got wind of it and did what they usually do: lobby the government to keep competition down. They got what they wanted. The shiteating state assembly passed a law basically making municipal broadband impossible, and the shiteating blue governor Bev Perdue did nothing to stop it, because she's a bourgeois whore just like everyone else in the party.

More recently, Charlotte tried to pass a "bathroom bill" giving trans people the right to use the fucking bathroom, and hardly a day later Raleigh overrode it with their own dick hogging law (which also prevented localities from setting wage requirements for contract workers).

The two parties aren't local, or regional, or federal, they're systemic. Voting for them at the local level, even if they're "progressive," just reinforces the entire rotten apparatus. Because when push comes to shove, those local "progressives" you voted for will do as they're fucking told, or else they'll get primaried by "their own" party. Even if you do manage to swing, say, a state with progressive candidates, they'll just get ratfucked by the party apparatchiks, like they did in Nevada where "progressives and socialists" won, only for party operatives to rob them, then quit.

The entire system is fucking rotten and it can't be reformed from the inside, by design. You can't use it to vote for a better world, because making sure that wasn't an option was the entire point from the fucking beginning.

You're going to either resign yourself to the fact that you need to get your fucking hands dirty, or vote yourself into your grave.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

George Chidi at The Guardian:

Elon Musk, named by Donald Trump to co-lead a commission aimed at reducing the size of the federal government, is poised to undermine funding for rural broadband services to benefit his satellite internet services company, Starlink. Musk has long been a critic of the Biden administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (Bead) Program, which provides $42.45bn through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities. Starlink, the satellite internet services subsidiary of SpaceX, has largely been shut out of this funding after government agencies deemed it too slow to qualify. But with Trump’s election, and the deference Trump appears poised to give to Musk’s desired reforms, the world’s richest man could re-prioritize how the federal government provides high-speed internet to rural America, creating an immense conflict of interest. If Musk recommends cuts to government spending on rural fiber optic broadband – as he has repeatedly suggested – it directly increases the value of Starlink’s satellite internet services.

“We have never had a situation where the leading shareholder of a communications company has both a position – both in terms of influencing the president, but also having an assignment to drive efficiency in government – with so many government contracts,” said Blair Levin, a telecommunications industry analyst with New Street Research and the Brookings Institution. “That is an extraordinary situation. That is unprecedented.” Levin suggested that Trump could order Bead funding to be withheld indefinitely as soon as he takes office, even though Congress has authorized the funding. Doing so would violate the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, a law Trump fell afoul of in his first term that ultimately resulted in one impeachment. But Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will co-lead the commission to reduce the size of the federal government, argued in a Wall Street Journal editorial last week that Trump should pursue impoundment when he deems it necessary.

“Mr Trump has previously suggested this statute is unconstitutional, and we believe the current supreme court would likely side with him on this question,” they wrote. Any move like this would tie the program in legal knots as lawsuits abound, Levin said. But the delay is the point. “While states and others could file legal actions to stop such a pause, we think most courts would be reluctant to enjoin or otherwise stop the administration from reconsidering some elements of the program. Even actions of dubious legality can benefit Starlink through delay or through litigation.” Musk had set his sights on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) long before Trump’s victory. The NTIA administers federal grant funding for the Bead program. Without a government subsidy, rolling fiber optic lines down country roads to serve a handful of houses at a time is usually too cost-prohibitive for an internet service provider. But to companies like AT&T or Verizon, a government subsidy to a local internet service provider also looks like the government funding the competition.

Big telecom companies and the FCC argued long and loud about what parts of the country had access to high-speed service, and thus didn’t need government money. But the definition of “high speed” used by industry and the government was often slow by many standards. After years of negotiation, lawsuits and politicking, the FCC and the NTIA settled on a modern definition for broadband service: 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds, 20Mbps upload speeds, with less than 100 milliseconds of latency. Right now, Starlink doesn’t meet that standard. It has been getting slightly slower over time even as more people sign up for service, according to internet performance testing service Ookla’s speed tests. In 2022, the FCC rescinded a $900m grant from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to Starlink to connect rural communities to the internet, citing its failure to meet the speed and latency standards and declining network performance.

Musk erupted on an X post. “Starlink is the only company actually solving rural broadband at scale! They should arguably dissolve the program and return funds to taxpayers, but definitely not send it those who aren’t getting the job done,” Musk wrote. ”What actually happened is that the companies that lobbied for this massive earmark (not us) thought they would win, but instead were outperformed by Starlink, so now they’re changing the rules to prevent SpaceX from competing.” In June, Musk described the Bead program, which began rolling out grants to states this year, as “an outrageous waste of taxpayer money and is utterly failing to serve people in need”. A month later, Musk endorsed Trump and began a $100m spending campaign in support of his candidacy.

After Musk started to gain Trump’s ear – and particularly after Musk’s endorsement and Starlink’s deployment of satellite terminals to areas hit by Hurricane Helene, which Trump praised regularly on the campaign trail – Trump’s language about rural broadband began to shift in Musk’s direction. Trump described Starlink as “better than the wires”, when talking with Joe Rogan in the much-watched podcast interview. “We’re spending a trillion dollars to get cables all over the country, right, up to upstate areas where you have like two farms … They haven’t hooked up one person.” Over the last year, the FCC commissioner – and Trump’s newly named FCC chair – Brendan Carr has also echoed Musk’s position, arguing that the public might be better off by subsidizing the cost of Starlink terminals instead of fiber optic broadband. After Trump’s election, Carr said the FCC is unlikely to revisit its rescission of Starlink’s grant, citing procedural hurdles. But Carr, who authored the FCC chapter of Project 2025, has suggested that as much as a third of Bead funding could go to satellite internet providers.

The “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” co-headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is just another self-enrichment scam.

[partisan-by-default]

Four years years ago AT&T, a company that, for years, cheapened out on upgrading its broadband lines to fiber, effectively stopped selling DSL. While that’s understandable given the limitations of the dated copper-based tech, the problem is that thanks to concentrated telecom monopolization, many of these customers were left without any replacement options due to a lack of competition.

There are other issues at play too. AT&T has, for decades, received countless billions in tax cuts, subsidies, merger approvals, and regulatory favors (remember how killing net neutrality, broadband privacy rules, or approving a wave of doomed mergers were all supposed to unleash untold innovation, job creation, and fiber network expansion? Yeah, AT&T doesn’t either).

In many states, AT&T has managed to lobby lawmakers into removing any requirement that the company continue servicing these users, many of whom are elderly folks still using traditional landlines used for 911 access. That’s been easier in some states than others. It was caught bribing Illinois lawmakers to pass such “reform.” California’s also been resistant to letting AT&T off the hook.

Last week, AT&T more formally announced what was already clear: it stated it would not be upgrading tens of millions of copper-based phone and DSL customers to fiber. The numbers aren’t insignificant[...]

[beardedmrbean]

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico's lower house of Congress approved on Wednesday a measure to abolish most of the autonomous bodies that regulate some economic sectors and ensure government transparency, a reform that could worsen tension with the U.S. and hit credit ratings.

The measure is among the constitutional reforms presented in February by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and backed by current President Claudia Sheinbaum, aimed at cutting public spending by centralizing the state apparatus.

Lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies voted 347 in favor with 128 against, and no abstentions, after hours of occasionally heated debate, with some jeers and personal insults exchanged.

A final vote on objections to details of the measure is expected on Thursday before it moves to the Senate, where ruling party Morena holds a large majority.

The reform proposes scrapping autonomous agencies such as antitrust watchdog Cofece, telecoms regulator IFT, energy regulator CRE, hydrocarbon regulator CNH and public information and data protection office INAI.

Their functions would be taken over by other government bodies, including the official statistics office, the electoral authority and government ministries.

Analysts warn the reform could potentially lead to conflicts with the United States and Canada, as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) mandates a telecoms regulator, particularly as the pact is due for review in mid-2026.

Sheinbaum has said the "technical independence" of the autonomous bodies would be maintained and special provisions would ensure compliance with USMCA requirements.

While advocates said more streamlined governance would save some $5 billion annually and reduce graft, critics argued it would strip funding from important projects, reduce transparency and oversight and concentrate power with the executive.

Some analysts have also warned the measure could trigger potential credit rating downgrades for Mexico, which now has investment-grade ratings from Fitch, Moody's, and S&P.

The reform "implies a further deterioration of Mexico's institutional framework, which increases the likelihood of credit rating downgrades," said Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Grupo Financiero BASE.

Ratings agency Moody's recently downgraded Mexico's outlook to negative from stable, citing institutional and policy weakening that threatens the economy and government accounts after a contentious judicial overhaul.

[foxnangelseo]

A Comprehensive Guide to the Top Industries Attracting FDI in India

India has emerged as one of the most attractive destinations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in recent years, thanks to its robust economic growth, favorable demographics, and ongoing policy reforms. FDI plays a crucial role in stimulating economic development by bringing in capital, technology, and expertise. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the top industries that are attracting FDI in India.

1. Information Technology (IT) and Software Services:

India's IT industry has been a pioneer in attracting FDI, fueling the country's economic growth and creating millions of jobs. With a large pool of skilled IT professionals, cost-effective services, and a conducive business environment, India continues to be a global hub for software development, IT outsourcing, and business process outsourcing (BPO).

India's Information Technology (IT) and software services industry have been pivotal in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) due to several key factors:

1. Skilled Workforce:

India boasts a vast pool of highly skilled IT professionals, including software engineers, developers, and project managers. The country's education system emphasizes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, producing a large number of graduates with expertise in computer science and information technology. This skilled workforce is instrumental in delivering high-quality software development, IT outsourcing, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services to clients worldwide.

2. Cost-Effectiveness:

The cost of labor in India is significantly lower compared to developed countries, making it an attractive destination for outsourcing IT projects and services. Foreign companies can leverage India's cost-effective labor market to reduce their operational expenses while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency. This cost advantage has been a major driver for multinational corporations to set up offshore development centers and service delivery hubs in India.

3. Conducive Business Environment:

India offers a conducive business environment for IT companies, characterized by liberalized policies, supportive government initiatives, and a well-established legal framework. The government has implemented various reforms to promote ease of doing business, simplify regulatory procedures, and encourage foreign investment in the IT sector. Additionally, initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India have further propelled the growth of the IT industry by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology adoption.

4. Global Reputation:

Over the years, India has built a strong reputation as a leading destination for IT and software services globally. Indian IT companies have demonstrated expertise in delivering cutting-edge solutions, leveraging emerging technologies, and meeting the diverse needs of clients across industries. This reputation has attracted multinational corporations to partner with Indian firms, outsource IT projects, and establish long-term collaborations for software development, maintenance, and support services.

5. Innovation and R&D:

India's IT industry is not just about cost arbitrage; it is also a hub for innovation, research, and development. Many global technology firms have set up innovation centers, research labs, and technology incubators in India to tap into the country's talent pool and drive innovation. These centers focus on developing next-generation technologies, conducting R&D activities, and creating intellectual property in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and cloud computing.

2. Telecommunications:

India's telecommunications sector has witnessed significant FDI inflows, driven by the rapid expansion of mobile and internet services. With a massive consumer base and increasing smartphone penetration, telecom companies are investing heavily in network infrastructure, spectrum auctions, and digital technologies to capitalize on the growing demand for data services.

India's telecommunications sector has emerged as a prominent recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) due to several key factors:

1. Expanding Market Potential:

India has one of the largest telecommunications markets in the world, with over a billion mobile subscribers and rapidly increasing internet penetration. The country's vast population, growing middle class, and rising disposable incomes have fueled the demand for voice, data, and digital services across urban and rural areas. This immense market potential offers lucrative opportunities for telecom companies to invest in network infrastructure, spectrum allocation, and innovative services to cater to the diverse needs of consumers.

2. Mobile Revolution:

India has witnessed a mobile revolution in recent years, driven by affordable smartphones, competitive tariffs, and widespread adoption of mobile internet services. The proliferation of mobile devices has transformed communication, commerce, and entertainment, creating new business models and revenue streams for telecom operators. Foreign investors recognize India's mobile-first market dynamics and are keen to capitalize on the growing demand for voice calls, messaging apps, mobile data, and value-added services.

3. Digital Connectivity:

The government's Digital India initiative aims to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive growth by ensuring broadband connectivity to all citizens. This ambitious program has spurred investments in fiber-optic networks, 4G/5G infrastructure, and rural broadband initiatives to enhance digital connectivity and enable access to digital services in remote areas. Foreign telecom companies view India's digital transformation as an opportunity to deploy advanced technologies, improve network coverage, and deliver high-speed internet services to underserved communities.

4. Spectrum Auctions:

Spectrum is a critical asset for telecom operators to expand their network capacity, improve service quality, and offer new services to customers. India's spectrum auctions provide an opportunity for telecom companies to acquire additional spectrum bands and strengthen their market position. Foreign investors participate in these auctions to acquire spectrum licenses and invest in network upgrades, spectrum refarming, and technology modernization to enhance their competitiveness in the market.

5. Convergence of Services:

The convergence of telecommunications with other sectors such as media, entertainment, and technology is driving investment opportunities in integrated services and content delivery platforms. Foreign telecom operators are exploring partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions with content providers, OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms, and digital media companies to offer bundled services, streaming content, and personalized experiences to subscribers.

6. Policy Reforms:

The Indian government has introduced several policy reforms to liberalize the telecom sector, attract foreign investment, and promote healthy competition. Initiatives such as National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP), ease of doing business reforms, and regulatory clarity have created a favorable investment climate for telecom companies. Foreign investors are encouraged by the government's commitment to reforming regulations, promoting innovation, and fostering a vibrant telecom ecosystem in India.

3. Automobiles and Automotive Components:

The Indian automotive industry has attracted substantial FDI from global automakers and component manufacturers seeking to establish manufacturing facilities, R&D centers, and distribution networks. India's competitive manufacturing costs, skilled workforce, and improving infrastructure have positioned it as a key player in the global automotive market.

4. Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare:

The pharmaceutical sector in India has been a magnet for FDI due to its strong regulatory framework, large market potential, and cost advantages in drug manufacturing. Foreign pharmaceutical companies are investing in research collaborations, production facilities, and distribution networks to tap into India's growing healthcare needs and leverage its expertise in generic drugs.

5. Renewable Energy:

India's ambitious renewable energy targets and supportive government policies have attracted significant FDI inflows into the sector. Foreign investors are investing in solar, wind, hydro, and biomass projects, driven by India's vast renewable energy potential, favorable regulatory environment, and growing demand for clean energy solutions.

6. Retail and E-Commerce:

India's retail and e-commerce sector has witnessed a surge in FDI with the liberalization of FDI policies and the rapid growth of online shopping. Global retail giants are partnering with Indian companies or establishing their own operations to tap into the country's burgeoning consumer market and rising middle-class population.

7. Real Estate and Construction:

The Indian real estate sector continues to attract FDI, driven by urbanization, infrastructure development, and demand for commercial and residential properties. Foreign investors are participating in joint ventures, development projects, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to capitalize on India's growing urban centers and infrastructure needs.

8. Financial Services:

India's financial services industry is experiencing a steady influx of FDI, driven by liberalization measures, digital transformation, and increasing investor interest. Foreign banks, insurance companies, and fintech startups are expanding their presence in India to cater to the growing demand for banking, insurance, and digital payment services.

9. Food Processing:

The food processing sector in India has attracted FDI due to its vast agricultural resources, changing consumer preferences, and government incentives. Foreign companies are investing in food processing plants, cold chains, and distribution networks to meet the rising demand for processed and packaged food products in India.

10. Infrastructure:

India's infrastructure sector offers immense opportunities for FDI across various segments such as transportation, energy, and urban development. Foreign investors are participating in public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure projects, and investment funds to address India's infrastructure gaps and support its economic growth.

In conclusion, India offers a diverse range of investment opportunities across various industries, making it an attractive destination for FDI. With a growing economy, favorable demographics, and ongoing policy reforms, India continues to attract foreign investors seeking high returns and long-term growth prospects. However, investors need to navigate regulatory challenges, market dynamics, and cultural nuances to succeed in India's competitive business landscape.

This post was originally published on: Foxnangel

[richardsondavis]

Why is the "learn to code" meme considered so offensive?

It’s classist. It’s the modern version of “let them eat cake” aimed at large swaths of people who have been left unable to economically provide for themselves due to technology in a country that provides next to nothing by the way of any real social safety net after 40+ years of sustained neoliberal attacks and increasingly punitive means-testing on what remains of the miserly, inadequate Great Society safety nets for the jobless/unemployable poor we very briefly had from 1968 to 1980.

It’s ableist. Not only does it dismiss the fact that most older poor and working class people who didn’t grow up with any exposure and access to this technology CAN’T just “learn to code” (as if it’s just so easy), at least not without a LOT of help and obtuse learning support, and dismissive of well enough to be able to get any of the entry level coding jobs which overwhelmingly go to rich young computer wiz kids who are autodidacts that seemingly grew up learning coding by osmosis, it’s extremely insulting to anyone with a learning disability when they need to be able to economically survive today and while they try to sort out their lives. Which wo just can’t do it and never will be able to no matter how hard they try. It’s being deliberately erected and maintained by the opportunity-hoarding upper-middle class to keep as many poor underprivileged people out of tech (and other professional white-collar middle class jobs) as possible so that they (and their kids) don’t have to compete against poor people for any of the good jobs that remain in post-Welfare Reform and post-NAFTA America.

It deliberately ignores real barriers to entry to tech jobs that women, minorities, older workers, the disabled, and the poor continue to face - despite all the lip service and empty promises about “diversity” and “inclusion.” Barriers, I might add, that were and are deliberately erected and maintained by the opportunity-hoarding upper-middle class to keep as many poor underprivileged people out of tech (and other professional white-collar middle class jobs) as possible so that they (and their kids) don’t have to compete against poor people for any of the good jobs that remain in post-Welfare Reform and post-NAFTA America.

“Learn to code” is survivorship bias at its worst

Saying “learn to code” also promotes survivorship bias with the same callousness exhibited by Paul Graham (founder of Y-Combinator) whose recent faux pas on Twitter caused an uproar. Graham said that anyone can bootstrap a startup and succeed economically, pointing to Airbnb as an example - which was NOT founded by three poor underprivileged youths unable to pay their rent as Graham claimed, but three upper-middle class white male Ivy League college graduates who were struggling to pay rent in one of the most expensive neighborhoods of San Francisco, which is the most expensive, gentrified coastal city in North America. Huge difference.

Learning to code is VERY hard and near-impossible for older people aged 50+ who grew up on the losing side of the Digital Divide that didn’t have the opportunity to learn any computer skills while young and who weren’t exposed to computers or even Nintendo and Atari video games (remember Pong?) unless if they were from households in the upper-middle class - the top 10–20% - and could afford those expensive toys, because there were no affordable personal home computers or Internet access available to them when they were young.

Remember, the bottom 80% of Americans - which is the overwhelming majority of the US population - weren’t even able to afford a bottom end clearance-sale special PC until 20 years after the home computer was invented and the Internet was launched. Many economically ravaged regions between the coasts still do not have high-speed Internet access today in 2019 because the infrastructure for it was never installed in those places by the telecom companies.

In areas that have been economically devastated like Erie, PA where I live - which is 100 miles away from the nearest tech meetup groups - those who could finally manage to scrape together the money to afford a bottom-end computer only had access to dial-up Internet until 2008 after Verizon DSL and Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) cable Internet infrastructures were finally installed. But many outlying regions of Erie County still lack it and are still on dial-up and landline phones. (Yes, really!)

Even though some older people without any prior computer skills or college educations have managed to overcome tremendous obstacles in order to learn how to code in their middle-aged/older years, ageism, ableism and classism runs as rampant (if not more so) than sexism and racism in the tech industry. Older job applicants, especially women and the disabled, who are heavily discriminated against for tech jobs despite tech’s phony “diversity and inclusion” initiatives, don’t get hired in these high-paying software developer jobs after having struggled to learn basic programming skills because tech is and always has been a young rich kids’ field where older people are not wanted.

Women, older workers, the disabled, displaced homemakers/caregivers, and other traditionally marginalized people never got hired after re-training in their middle-aged years, many using up what was left of their entire life savings to pay anywhere from $13K - $30K for dev bootcamp tuition, because the overwhelmingly young affluent tech employers deemed them as “not a good culture fit” - which is really nothing more than backdoor discrimination that the tech industry has not shown any proven commitment to eliminating. Just look at the biased algorithms driving AI, which is used in everything from targeted job ads on social media sites to companies’ human resource hiring decisions to product and services sales - all of which selectively discriminate against women, the disabled, older people, long-term unemployed/chronically poor people, and non-whites for access to jobs, goods and services. This issue has not even begun to be addressed by the tech industry, despite many people raising awareness about it over the past several years.

“Learn to code”/ “anyone can learn to code” is malicious, social Darwinist, and privilege-blind

You have to have a certain degree of cognitive ability and natural-born intellectual capacity to be able to learn how to code. The average IQ among Americans in the US is 98[1]. To be able to learn how to code, it’s been estimated that you need to have a minimum IQ of 125 - which is well above average (mine is 126, but I’m also dyslexic so I really struggled with learning to code as a much older lady and never was able to get a job). Someone with a low to average IQ who struggles with basic math is not going to be successful at learning to code. And there’s not a damn thing they, or anyone else, can do about it.

Saying that “anyone can learn to code - even pre-schoolers are doing it” is not only false, it’s victim-blamey. It’s dismissive of those who can’t, and never will be able to, learn to code and who can’t be realistically expected to compete against intellectually gifted, non-learning-disabled MIT and Stanford computer science graduates for coding jobs - especially since the more technically advanced and difficult coding jobs are in AI and neuro-learning networks and those are starting to outnumber the more basic and “easier” software developer jobs.

People for whom college was never an option who struggled with learning difficulties since birth, suffered a lot of trauma during their K-12 school years as children. They were punished, riciduled, mocked and bullied by teachers, classmates, and (sadly) even family members because they couldn’t succeed in school as children - no matter how many times they sacrificed recess to get extra help with their homework from the teacher and no matter how hard they tried, only to fail again and again. They’re certainly not going to be able to succeed at learning to code and break into tech jobs as older adults. It’s too difficult and traumatizing for them, and you can’t just “positive-think” your way out of a learning disability or a low-average IQ. That’s not how reality works.

You can’t punish people out of having learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities. It’s dangerous fairy dust thinking to insist that the very real limitations posed by learning disabilities and low-average IQs will magically disappear if the learning-disabled person would just have the “right attitude” instead of “using their learning disability as a crutch”, or if they “stop making excuses” for being “lazy” and “not trying hard enough” to learn to code when they know they can’t do it. If they were really able to do it, they wouldn’t have been held back twice in elemtary school and thrown into special ed for “slow learners” the minute they couldn’t grasp algebra in 7th grade.

Telling middle-aged displaced homemakers and blue-collar workers who struggled to make it to high school - many whom were deeply traumatized in the process and dropped out - that they should just “learn to code”, and then pick up and relocate (on no money and no car) to some expensive big city on the coast where all these fantastic jobs are, is like telling someone who spent their entire life from being raised as a feral child in the hinterlands of some remote forest to “just” become a nuclear physicist so they can get a job at NASA.

Remember whom this “learn to code” meme and its variants (i.e. “just go to college”, etc.) were being aimed at. They are verbal grenades that have been lobbed by upper-middle class professionals at discarded blue-collar workers and the very poor, in real life and on online forums, starting in the 1990s. We’re talking about a much older population who had been the primary targets of these cruel elitist attacks for decades - NOT the 20-somethings that IT companies and other tech startups seek.

IT skills and coding are hard enough to learn as an older person with a STEM degree and an above-average IQ and mathematical abilities if they didn’t grow up with this technology and have any opportunities to learn it while still young enough to be desired as an employee - like the Millenials and the younger generations coming up after them.

For people of ANY age who don’t have a solid grasp on math and symbolic logic, and the mechanical ability to visualize a running machine in their head, learning to code and succeeding in tech is impossible. People like this do NOT intuitively grasp how to “see” things like this on their own - it’s too abstract. They have to be shown. And the current standard fare of coding education materials does not demonstrate to such people how to “see it.” That makes learning to code impossible for large segments of the population.

But these people vote and they vote angry. And there’s only two candidates running for president in the 2020 election who called it right: Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang. Of those two, only one has thoroughly analyzed the problem and presented a solution (a guaranteed basic income) that can be implemented immediately to relieve deep poverty and suffering in post-Welfare Reform America: Andrew Yang.

As much as I distrust Yang because he’s a Libertarian-leaning technocrat, and dislike his Neoliberal version of a UBI plan - because $1,000/mo is not enough for a permanently unemployable poor older/disabled unmarried person to live on, and because of how Yang wants to finance his version of the UBI instead of going with a more progressive UBI plan - I cannot disagree with any part of his analysis of the problem that got us here in the first place, or the spirit of a UBI.

Over a decade ago I wrote and self-published a book titled Classism For Dimwits (“Dummies” is a registered trademark, so couldn’t use it). It’s still available as print-on-demand and offered in paperback and hardcopy version from Barnes & Noble, and as an e-book on Kindle through Amazon. In that book, I extensively discussed the hidden injuries of class, the War on the Poor, and how utterly shitty and classist it was for well-off upper-middle class people to tell all the poor single mothers being thrown off of welfare with Clinton’s Welfare Reform Act without the guarantee of a living wage job and health benefits, and all the poor displaced blue-collar workers who’ve been surplussed, losing everything in their middle-aged years at an increasing pace since the 1990’s, that if they weren’t “smart enough” to “just go to college” and become whatever they deserved to suffer in poverty and should “stop whining” and “stop blaming society for their failures.”

Nobody cared when any of these shitbombs were hurled at America’s poorest and most vulnerable women and at poor discarded blue-collar workers whom the privileged middle and upper-middle classes never had a shred of sympathy for. Only now that it’s being aimed at bright, well-educated middle class journalists is it starting to matter.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Today (Oct 19), I'm in Charleston, WV to give the 41st annual McCreight Lecture in the Humanities. Tomorrow (Oct 20), I'm at Charleston's Taylor Books from 12h-14h.

#10yrsago NSA hacked email of Mexican president and drug-war reformers https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-hacked-email-account-of-mexican-president-a-928817.html

#10yrsago DSMV reviewed as a work of dystopian literature https://thenewinquiry.com/book-of-lamentations/

#10yrsago HOWTO braid your long hair into a Gimli beard https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8fCkzQ7K0goUDlPVXJscTN3eEE/

#5yrsago After killing disaster-recovery rules, Ajit Pai can’t understand why carriers aren’t helping hurricane-hit Florida https://wetmachine.com/tales-of-the-sausage-factory/hurricane-michael-a-wake-up-call-on-why-total-dereg-of-telecom-a-very-bad-idea/

#5yrsago Security researchers identify “fingerprints” in 3D printed objects that can be used to trace their manufacturing https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181018151044.htm

#5yrsago All the economists who told the FTC we shouldn’t break up Big Tech are paid by Big Tech https://www.fastcompany.com/90253465/should-we-break-up-the-tech-giants-not-if-you-ask-the-economists-who-take-money-from-them

#5yrsago US Customs is seizing refurbished Apple batteries and calling them “counterfeits” https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3ppvj/dhs-seized-aftermarket-apple-laptop-batteries-from-independent-repair-expert-louis-rossman

#5yrsago “Smart home” companies refuse to say whether law enforcement is using your gadgets to spy on you https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/19/smart-home-devices-hoard-data-government-demands/

#5yrsago On-trend in Asia: Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign logo https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/19/17989782/jesse-jackson-1988-campaign-shirts-korea-japan-china

#1yrago It was all downhill after the Cuecat https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Why Brazil’s tax reform is bittersweet for the ICT industry

Although the Brazilian ICT industry is relatively pleased with the final version of the tax reform approved by the lower house of congress, there are some important points it is not happy with.

This is especially true for parts of the sector that are more focused on value-added services and which operate at the end of the chain, in the B2C area serving the end-customer, which will probably see an overall increase in taxes.

However, the unification of five federal, state and municipal taxes, and the end of cumulative levies – that is, taxes being charged on top of other taxes – is something the industry has rallied behind and is generally a cause for celebration.

“The positive thing about the reform for the industry is the simplification of the whole system. That's the main point. The second point is a reduction in litigation for the sector as a whole,” Marcus Vinicius Gonçalves, head of tax practice and a partner at KPMG Brasil, told BNamericas.

Gonçalves referred to the current classification of an added-value service (such as internet), and what telephony and telecom services are. At present, each of them are subject to specific rules and different taxes, paying differing rates.

The problem is that the line between what is internet and what is telecom is increasingly blurred, which has led to litigation over the taxes applied.

Thus, with the simplification under the reform, this distinction will end for good, at least in theory, all becoming one area, with the same tax rates.

Continue reading.

[finnleyshortstuff]

I'm pretty sure the whole auto "opt-in" scenario is against European law, but I am in no way trained for this to confirm. Can anyone help me out on this? Because you can bet your ass we can mass report.

https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/reform/rights-citizens/redress/what-should-i-do-if-i-think-my-personal-data-protection-rights-havent-been-respected_en

Some info I found

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/data-protection-online-privacy/index_en.htm

@staff

OUR CONTENT SHOULD BE OPTED OUT OF AI TRAINING BY DEFAULT!

[mariacallous]

Rumors are rampant on Capitol Hill about an effort said to be underway by US congressional leaders to salvage a controversial surveillance program—a plan that sources say may include slipping a last-minute provision into a “must-pass” defense authorization bill.

Republican and Democratic senior aides tell WIRED that word of private talks between the party leaders began to leak late last week, sparking concerns that House speaker Mike Johnson and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer were mounting a last-ditch effort to rescue the program, known as Section 702, without the support of their rank-and-file members.

Neither Schumer nor Johnson have responded to requests for comment.

The 702 program—so named for its statutory source, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—allows the government to warrantlessly surveil the communications of foreign citizens “reasonably believed” to be overseas. While intelligence analysts cannot target legal US residents, they can and often do acquire the communications of Americans in contact with foreign surveillance targets. Section 702 targets are not limited to terrorists and criminals, and may include, for example, foreign officials, diplomats, and journalists—anyone whose calls, texts, or emails are believed to have intelligence value.

The 702 statute is set to expire at the end of the year, though surveillance under the program, obtained through the compelled cooperation of US telecoms, could technically continue until April.

By week’s end, top congressional leaders are expected to present the final text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive bill that directs the Pentagon’s annual funding and one of only a few bills that lawmakers cannot afford to let die. Amending the bill to extend the Section 702 program would force members into an up-or-down vote with limited debate and no opportunity to omit any unwanted, last-minute changes.

The House and Senate passed their own versions of the NDAA this summer, and a conference of top lawmakers had been tasked with consolidating the two bills. Currently, however, only a few top lawmakers know what the bill’s final text will say. The remaining conferees expect to receive a copy of the NDAA as early as Wednesday, but may have less than a day to parse what is typically over 1,000 pages of text. Party leaders will expect at least half of the conference to sign off on the bill quickly and send it to the House and Senate floor for a vote.

House majority leader Steve Scalise and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment, nor did any senior members of the House and Senate armed services committees.

Republican staffers tell WIRED that extending the 702 program in this manner will almost certainly ignite another major quarrel in the House, where Republicans with considerable sway—including Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Matt Gaetz, who successfully ousted former House speaker Kevin McCarthy in October—are fiercely opposed to reauthorizing the program without a slew of new privacy safeguards.

An unlikely coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers was formed this year to oppose the intelligence community’s effort to obtain a clean reauthorization of the 702 program, which has been plagued by years of internal abuse at the National Security Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The program’s critics have put up a laundry list of potential reforms, many of which are vehemently opposed by the White House and intelligence community at large. A chief demand of the Republicans, for example, has been to automatically strip the security clearance of any federal employee caught abusing 702 data.

A source familiar with the White House’s goals for the program tells WIRED it has encouraged Congress throughout the year to discuss potential privacy-enhancing reforms, while drawing a “red line” at demanding that the FBI obtain warrants before accessing raw 702 data for national security investigations. The source adds that the White House would be open, though, to discussing a warrant requirement for domestic criminal investigations, a recommendation made earlier this year by the president’s own intelligence advisory board.

Oversight officials on the congressional intelligence committees did not respond on Monday to inquiries from WIRED. A Democratic spokesperson for the House Intelligence Committee said its ranking member, Jim Himes, was unable to comment, but says a failure to reauthorize Section 702 by year’s end would prove to be a “disaster for national security” and a lost opportunity for meaningful reform.

[meraqui-india]

Meraqui: Building Bharat's Workforce OS with Tech, Trust, and Vision

With 50 million+ man-hours and Rs 4 billion in payroll, Meraqui scales dignified livelihoods in India.

Key Takeaways 

Meraqui is redefining India’s workforce infrastructure through its tech-first WaaS, TaaS, and OaaS models. 

With a focus on frontline workers, Meraqui connects aspirants from Tier 3/4 cities to organised employment across India and beyond. 

Bootstrapped, profitable, and operationally efficient, Meraqui exemplifies scalable, impact-driven innovation in workforce management.

In a nation poised to supply 40% of the global workforce by 2050, Meraqui is transforming India’s demographic dividend into a demographic advantage. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Shalin Maheshwari and Lalit Singh, this pioneering platform is reimagining how India's frontline workers are sourced, trained, deployed, and empowered.

Bharat ke Innovators – Showcasing grassroot innovation at scale | 4th Edition | The Bharat Project

A Doctor’s Dream Beyond the Operating Table 

Dr. Shalin Maheshwari began his career as an orthopaedic surgeon. But it wasn’t long before he realised that impacting lives on a larger scale required a different kind of operating room—one that addressed India’s employment ecosystem. 

After experimenting with healthcare financing through his family’s lending business, Shalin met Lalit Singh, then the CTO. A shared vision for enabling dignified livelihoods in grassroots India became the seed for Meraqui.

With government-led reforms like Startup India, GST, and Jan Dhan Yojana setting a digital foundation, the timing was ripe. Together, they envisioned Meraqui not just as a staffing company but as an integrated, AI-powered Workforce as a Service (WaaS) platform.

The Meaning  Behind Meraqui

Inspired by the Greek word "Meraki," Meraqui stands for putting soul and creativity into one’s work. It’s more than a name; it’s the company’s ethos. Meraqui bridges the digital and human gap for India’s 550 million-strong youth population, many of whom lack access to formal employment and digital identity.

A Full-Stack Workforce Revolution

Meraqui’s offering is a three-pronged solution:

WaaS (Workforce as a Service): End-to-end lifecycle management—sourcing, onboarding, compliance, payroll, health and financial benefits, and career growth.

TaaS (Talent as a Service): Tech-driven, skill-mapped talent sourcing that ensures right-job-right-candidate alignment.

OaaS (Outcome as a Service): Performance-tied models where Meraqui delivers on business KPIs, from warehouse efficiency to telecom deployment.

All of this is powered by proprietary platforms like karam.ai and a low-code tech stack, providing scalability and precision across sectors.

From Villages to Global Verticals

Meraqui works with over 300 top-tier clients, including Reliance, Foxconn, Infosys, and L&T, across 30 industries and 28 Indian states. It connects aspirants from Tier 3/4 towns to permanent, gig, and contractual roles in Tier 1/2 cities, and now, international markets. In just six years, Meraqui has enabled over 50 million man-hours and managed ₹4 billion in payroll.

Its physical footprint has expanded from 12 to 36 offices nationwide, while acquisitions like Inara training and Skill development academy and Meraqui Eduventures private limited have supported growth in India, First Mile Consulting and First Mile Technologies have fast-tracked its global ambitions.

Scalable and Sustainable Growth

Meraqui is a rare breed—bootstrapped, profitable, and operationally agile. Early backing from Harsh Saraf’s family office and a robust balance sheet enabled the company to raise ₹55 crore in non-dilutive financing from banks recently to further a new 1500 crores orderbook in OaaS and WaaS. These funds have fueled geographic expansion, tech development, and worker services such as housing, skilling, and financial products.

The company’s ability to repeatedly raise debt from banks, based on a solid track record, Marquee bluechip client pool reflects its capital efficiency and business credibility.

Building for Bharat, Not Just India

While many competitors address slices of the staffing puzzle, Meraqui offers a holistic, worker-centric model. Its grassroots operations and tech-enabled transparency make it a trusted partner in a fragmented employment landscape. As digital literacy, compliance, and worker aspirations evolve, Meraqui is positioned as the backbone of India’s workforce transformation.

"Scale is meaningless without trust," says the founding team, emphasising localisation and empathy as foundational principles.

Toward a Workforce OS for India

Future plans include scaling further in Tier 2/3 India, enhancing skilling through Meraqui and expanding globally. The long-term vision is bold: to become the AI-powered operating system for India’s workforce—unifying employment, skilling, financial access, and social security.

Milestones and Recognition

Meraqui’s accolades include being named an income tax-exempt startup by DPIIT, winner of the CNBC TV18 SME Champion Award, and one of only eight INDICORNS to reach ₹100 crore+ and profitability in under five years. It has been featured in Forbes India DGEMS and recognised by CII for HRtech innovation. 

With 3 lakh job placements and presence across 300+ pin codes, Meraqui isn’t just building careers, it’s building a new India responsibly as a profitable enterprise.

[beardedmrbean]

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed from office on Wednesday on cronyism charges, less than a year after he was installed, by the country's powerful consitutional court.

In a 5-4 vote, the judges ruled Srettha's appointment to his cabinet of a close associate of his main backer, telecoms billionaire and former populist prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, breached the moral and ethical standards set out in the constitution.

The court has removed two other prime ministers since 2008.

Srettha's downfall came three months after about 40 unelected senators petitioned the court to dismiss him for selecting as the head of his cabinet office former Thaksin lawyer Pichit Chuenban over a 2008 conviction for attempted bribery.

His removal will be seen as a strong signal to Thaksin -- long viewed as a threat by the country's royal-military duopoly -- that his bid to reclaim his seat at the top table of power in South East Asia's second-largest economy is going to be anything but plain sailing.

Srettha, a 62-year-old billionaire real-estate developer, told reporters that he accepted the decision but insisted he had not acted with dishonesty.

"This chapter has ended as the constitutional court has decided," said Srettha whose interim replacement will be Phumtham Wechayachai, one of his deputies, pending the election of a new prime minister by parliament.

Strettha was installed in place of the real winner of last year's election, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, who was blocked from becoming prime minister by the military-appointed senate. The court's decision to now remove Strettha may further alienate ordinary Thais, reinforcing a growing belief all political power ultimately lies with the establishment, regardless of who people vote for.

The constitutional court finalized the effective coup against Pita's reformist party, by dissolving it on Aug. 7 and imposing decade-long political ban on 11 of its leaders for manifesto pledges to reform tough royal defamation laws that the court ruled breached the constitution.

The frontrunners to replace Srettha are Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy prime minister, and Thaksin's youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

[arjunsinghh]

The Future of International Roaming: Key Innovations and Trends Shaping Global Connectivity

In today’s hyper-connected world, international roaming plays a crucial role in keeping professionals and travelers seamlessly connected across borders. Whether it's attending a global conference, closing deals on the go, or simply staying in touch while exploring new destinations, reliable international connectivity is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

As businesses go global and the digital nomad lifestyle gains traction, the demand for accessible, efficient, and affordable international roaming solutions continues to grow. This blog explores how the landscape of roaming is evolving—highlighting emerging technologies, shifting industry practices, and innovations that promise to transform how we stay connected worldwide.

The Current Landscape

High Costs and Accessibility Barriers

Traditional roaming has long been associated with high costs and limited flexibility. Per-minute call charges, sky-high data rates, and limited data caps often leave users struggling to stay connected without breaking the bank.

Workarounds with Local SIMs and Wi-Fi

To dodge roaming fees, many travelers opt for local SIM cards or rely on public Wi-Fi. While this can cut costs, it introduces complications—like managing multiple numbers, setting up new devices, or being restricted to Wi-Fi zones in cafes or hotels.

Recent Advancements

Affordable Roaming Bundles

Many mobile operators now offer travel-specific bundles that include minutes, SMS, and data at fixed rates. These packages simplify budgeting and prevent bill shock.

Wi-Fi Calling

Wi-Fi calling allows users to make voice calls over internet connections, maintaining their existing number without using cellular networks—an ideal option when roaming minutes are limited.

Game-Changing Innovations

eSIM Technology

eSIMs eliminate the need for physical SIM cards, letting users download and activate a mobile plan remotely. Whether you're in Tokyo or Toronto, switching between carriers is as easy as tapping a screen—no physical card swapping required. According to the GSMA, eSIM connections are forecasted to skyrocket from 1.2 billion in 2021 to 6.7 billion by 2030.

5G Networks

5G is reshaping the global mobile experience. With ultra-fast speeds and low latency, 5G makes it possible to stream HD content, use real-time translation tools, and conduct video calls seamlessly—no matter where you are. In fact, global 5G subscriptions are expected to hit 4.7 billion by 2028.

Emerging Trends to Watch

Global Roaming Partnerships

Telecom providers are forming international roaming alliances, enabling subscribers to use their services across borders at consistent, and sometimes even free, rates. These partnerships foster healthy competition and benefit consumers through improved affordability and expanded coverage.

Virtual SIMs (vSIMs)

Taking eSIM technology a step further, vSIMs allow users to download region-specific SIM profiles directly to their devices. This innovation could render physical SIM cards obsolete, enabling instant carrier switching without hardware changes.

IoT Expansion

The explosion of IoT devices—like smartwatches, connected cars, and healthcare wearables—demands reliable, global roaming. With 25.44 billion IoT devices projected by 2030, the need for seamless roaming capabilities across devices is becoming critical.

The Road Ahead: Opportunities and Outlook

Regulatory Reforms

Governments worldwide are pushing for fairer roaming practices—mandating transparent pricing, standardised data caps, and eliminating hidden fees. These reforms support consumer rights and promote global digital inclusivity.

Personalised Roaming Experiences

Mobile operators are offering tailored roaming plans based on individual travel patterns. Whether you're a frequent flyer or a leisure traveler, these customisable packages ensure you only pay for what you truly need.

Real-Time Usage Monitoring

Through intuitive apps, users can now track their roaming data, remaining minutes, and charges in real-time. This empowers better control, allowing for on-the-go plan adjustments and the prevention of unwanted surprises on bills.

What’s Next for International Roaming?

Long-Term Vision: Roaming Without Boundaries

Imagine a future where “international roaming” fades into the background—where using your phone abroad costs no more than it does at home. This vision hinges on continued industry collaboration, evolving technology, and user-first policy reforms.

Potential Game-Changers

Satellite Internet: Services like Starlink promise global coverage, especially for remote and off-grid regions, offering a compelling alternative to traditional roaming networks.

Global SIM Cards: Universal SIMs that function across all networks worldwide are in development, aiming to simplify global communication for frequent travelers and businesses.

Emerging Technologies

5G Post-Quantum Encryption: As 5G adoption grows, next-gen encryption methods will be vital in safeguarding data across international borders.

Blockchain Integration: Blockchain can revolutionise billing systems by ensuring secure, transparent, and instant settlement of roaming charges—eliminating disputes and discrepancies.

Conclusion: Redefining the Role of International Roaming

International roaming is no longer just a telecom service—it's a strategic enabler for business expansion, innovation, and seamless global collaboration. By embracing technological advancements and consumer-friendly practices, businesses and individuals can transform their connectivity experience, making roaming more predictable, secure, and cost-effective.

Stay Connected Without Limits – With Vi Business

Empower your team to travel confidently with Vi Business International Roaming. Our plans offer seamless connectivity in 100+ countries with one SIM, one number, and one hassle-free experience. No more juggling operators or SIM cards—just uninterrupted service wherever business takes you.

With customisable options tailored to your company’s needs, Vi Business ensures your employees remain connected, productive, and focused. Ready to take your business global? Contact Vi Business today to explore smart international roaming solutions designed for the modern workforce.