There were some big adjectives being thrown out at the opening of the stunning Verizon Application Innovation Center in San Francisco, as executives kept saying how this center would enable app makers to utilize 4G LTE for “transformative,” “phenomenal” and “once-in-a-lifetime” apps. I was troubled though. How innovative can mobile developers really be on Verizon’s 4G LTE network if those apps are limited by tiered data plans?
The center, in conjunction with the recently-opened 4G LTE innovation center on the East Coast, aims to break down the walled garden past of the carrier and empower app developers to create cool things which can change the way computing is done thanks to 4G LTE. It will definitely help developers too, as there are multiple tools for network APIs, full-blown 4G LTE labs and a multitude of resources from Verizon.
The CEO and CTO of Verizon mentioned a few future app possibilities that 4G LTE offers and 3D gaming and HD video on the go definitely makes my mouth water but that will quickly eat through those 2 GB of data many users get per month. Hefty overages or getting throttled won’t lead to a boon for developers or app consumers. I know it’s not that difficult to toggle on WiFi when you’re at home, the office or at Starbucks but the whole value of 4G LTE is that it should give you those types of speeds wherever you go.
I’m a big fan of 4G LTE and truly think it’s the real deal but not if it’s going to force hefty overages on my monthly bill. I do think that having certain limits can actually be good for developers – look at all the oool apps we’ve seen in the App Store under Apple’s draconian rules – but this isn’t like putting in a restrictor plate, this is sending the car out there with flat tires.
I’m not going to be the first to say that true innovation hit the Internet once we stopped paying by the minute (or hoarding those free AOL discs) and we won’t really see the true next wave of innovative apps unless data caps go up or we get more reasonable costs for the plans. I know that the mobile Internet is different and it may mean we have to pay more for unlimited plans but it could be worth it for apps that truly change the way we work and play.
I do give kudos to Verizon for its innovation centers and what appears to be a real shift from its closed past but it could be limiting itself and its developers with its 4G LTE data caps.
Update: Verizon told me that this Center actually has many tools which can help app makers work with this “usage-based pricing,” including many ways to optimize services and apps for the network. Big Red also tells me that the vast majority of users aren’t even coming close to the limit per month, so much of the concern comes from power users who like to whine, like me.
I buy both of these tidbits but still think that the future innovation on apps is muddied with these data caps. As we enter a world where apps aren’t as static, connect to multiple devices and people, and as 4G LTE really picks up users, this wil become a major issue which affects the mainstream.
