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T-Mobile Shuts Down Twitter Service for Good?
Would T-Mobile block Twitter users, even if they’re paying for unlimited messaging? I’ve read numerous reports like this of Twitter users missing out on messages from their Twittering friends.
Dozens of people on Satisfaction have been wondering why Twitter was down for them and fuming about the state of Twitter and T-Mobile.
The rhetoric is heating up, and the facts are not all in. But, based on a provocative and sharply worded e-mail response from a T-Mobile representative, things do not look good for Twitter or its enthusiasts:
If legitimate, this e-mail, from Marianne Maestas, of the Executive Customer Relations department at T-Mobile, is striking. First and foremost, it positions T-Mobile as against innovation and against small businesses. What do small businesses have to do to comply with these new rules? What has changed in the past few days that warrants this kind of restriction? Closing systems like this brings to mind the e-mail wars between CompuServe and AOL. Haven’t we learned since then that open standards leads to more innovation and wealth? Besides, it’s services like Twitter that make T-Mobile’s product more valuable and more essential to users. It’s short-sighted at best to try to cut off this usage.
On top of that, it’s just plain mean-spirited. Not only are we not going to let you communicate with your friends via Twitter, T-Mobile is saying, we’re going to charge you as much money as possible if you disagree with our position and try to switch to a new service provider. So there.
Telecom providers cling to technologies like SMS and MMS because they control all the traffic on them. This gives them the ability to coerce companies that want access into their network into shelling out cash for exclusivity. It also allows them to set very high toll prices on the simple use of these low-bandwidth services. Companies like T-Mobile have numerous provisions in their terms of use that seriously constrain what users can do with SMS. For instance, T-Mobile expressly forbids the use of URLs inside text messages, presumably because this could lead to communications that don't use the high-tariff services it controls.
It all sounds shocking, and I hope that in truth this is actually a misunderstanding. I wonder if there is an opportunity to get to the truth of the matter and have T-Mobile clarify so that the thousands of Twitter-using T-Mobile customers (and potential customers) can rest assured that the substantial amount of money they pay to telecom companies to stay connected is worth it.
Thoughts? Ideas? Can anyone else confirm this distressing news — or put it to rest? Can anyone from T-Mobile stand up and speak on this issue?
You can also call T-Mobile at (800) 937-8997 or e-mail T-Mobile’s CEO at rdotson@t-mobile.com.
Dozens of people on Satisfaction have been wondering why Twitter was down for them and fuming about the state of Twitter and T-Mobile.
The rhetoric is heating up, and the facts are not all in. But, based on a provocative and sharply worded e-mail response from a T-Mobile representative, things do not look good for Twitter or its enthusiasts:
“...Twitter is not an authorized third-party service provider, and therefore you are not able to utilize service from this provider any longer.... T-Mobile is not in violation of any agreement by not providing service to Twitter. T-Mobile regrets any inconvenience, however please note that if you remain under contract and choose to cancel service, you will be responsible for the $200 early termination fee that would be assessed to the account at cancellation.”
If legitimate, this e-mail, from Marianne Maestas, of the Executive Customer Relations department at T-Mobile, is striking. First and foremost, it positions T-Mobile as against innovation and against small businesses. What do small businesses have to do to comply with these new rules? What has changed in the past few days that warrants this kind of restriction? Closing systems like this brings to mind the e-mail wars between CompuServe and AOL. Haven’t we learned since then that open standards leads to more innovation and wealth? Besides, it’s services like Twitter that make T-Mobile’s product more valuable and more essential to users. It’s short-sighted at best to try to cut off this usage.
On top of that, it’s just plain mean-spirited. Not only are we not going to let you communicate with your friends via Twitter, T-Mobile is saying, we’re going to charge you as much money as possible if you disagree with our position and try to switch to a new service provider. So there.
Telecom providers cling to technologies like SMS and MMS because they control all the traffic on them. This gives them the ability to coerce companies that want access into their network into shelling out cash for exclusivity. It also allows them to set very high toll prices on the simple use of these low-bandwidth services. Companies like T-Mobile have numerous provisions in their terms of use that seriously constrain what users can do with SMS. For instance, T-Mobile expressly forbids the use of URLs inside text messages, presumably because this could lead to communications that don't use the high-tariff services it controls.
It all sounds shocking, and I hope that in truth this is actually a misunderstanding. I wonder if there is an opportunity to get to the truth of the matter and have T-Mobile clarify so that the thousands of Twitter-using T-Mobile customers (and potential customers) can rest assured that the substantial amount of money they pay to telecom companies to stay connected is worth it.
Thoughts? Ideas? Can anyone else confirm this distressing news — or put it to rest? Can anyone from T-Mobile stand up and speak on this issue?
You can also call T-Mobile at (800) 937-8997 or e-mail T-Mobile’s CEO at rdotson@t-mobile.com.
I’m hoping this is not true.
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I am glad to hear word that this may be, as hoped, a misunderstanding. I think this is an excellent opportunity for T-Mobile to state their official policy, examine the tone of all e-mail correspondence that their representatives send out, and have an open conversation with their customers. I'm sure we can all agree that this kind of conversation would be rewarding for everyone involved.
I’m hoping for the best
3 people say
this solves the problem
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All,
We've determined that this is an issue between T-mobile and our aggregator, not an intentional block. The service is working intermittently and T-mobile is working to resolve the issue ASAP.
Thanks for your patience!
8 people say
this solves the problem
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Needless to say, we'll be watching this one closely, as our agency uses Twitter and other tools for the common good of those we proudly serve.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
I’m eager to find the details
9 people say
this solves the problem
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This is totally par for the course in dealing with carriers. I've heard stories of them doing this sort of thing before beginning negotiations for "official service" status to make it clear who has the upper hand. Sort of like the Myspace/Photobucket war earlier this year. (Not that Twitter has any plans to sell to T-Mobile, hopefully.)
I can think of a few reasons they might turn off the service. All fall within the "be evil" policy of mobile companies.
1. T-Mobile is preparing to launch/support a rival service.
Without any hard facts I'd put my money on this one. With all the Twitter clones out there why wouldn't T-Mo just license one of them, white label it, and replace Twitter with something they own? Remember how the TV networks left all those clips on YouTube until they launched their own video sites? Same deal here -- let a startup prove the market then unplug them and offer your own thing. Of course, you lose the whole community thing, but most companies aren't so smart about that stuff when it conflicts with quarterly profits.
2. They're not making enough money
On Twitter's side it would be good to look at the message numbers and try to see things from T-Mobile's financial perspective. Check the number of Mobile Originated (MO's) messages, on which T-Mo earns money, against the Mobile Terminated (MT's) messages, on which they sort of lose money. If there is one MO for every thousand MT's they are probably losing money by supporting your service, at least in their short-sighted view. If there is one MO per 10 MT's they likely make money on your service, and it's in their interest to give Twitter some of the money to keep the service going. That's where the bare-knuckle negotiations come in.
3. Twitter is a pawn in a larger war.
Maybe T-Mo is in the middle of some fight with Twitter's SMS aggregator (the company that transfers the message from the internet to the mobile network). They could turn off Twitter as a way of hurting the aggregator and strengthening their negotiation position. It's likely that Twitter violates some part of some contract, since all the contracts are lopsided and unfair, so they can basically turn off any service at will.
4. Twitter was too much of a load on the network.
I doubt this one, since even a very popular service doesn't generate enough messages to cause trouble on such a large network. But perhaps there was some load issue and somebody wanted a quick way to lower SMS volume during the holidays. Hey, let's turn off this web thing, I doubt anyone will notice...
5. Some T-Mobile VP just now heard about Twitter.
It's possible that some clueless executive found out that a startup was allowing free text messages and ordered someone to shut down the service. Hopefully this isn't the case, because if it took them this long to hear about Twitter just imagine the wait before they realize all their best customers are gone.
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My advice to Twitter: contact T-Mobile as if this were a technical error and play nice. At the same time contact every friend you have in the mobile industry, especially those who make $$ on you (like your aggregator and your ad company) and ask them to contact T-Mobile and advocate for you. This decision probably comes down to a product manager or VP's strategy opinion, so friendly encouragement and the promise of high revenues can go a long way.
I’m sadly familiar with this situation
12 people say
this solves the problem
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Hey folks. T-Mobile has definitely turned us off without notification. At Twitter we make great effort to be in compliance with all the carrier "playbooks." We're still trying to find out why T-Mobile has taken this action—as soon as we find out, we'll let you know.
I’m confused
18 people say
this solves the problem
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Inappropriate?Hey folks. T-Mobile has definitely turned us off without notification. At Twitter we make great effort to be in compliance with all the carrier "playbooks." We're still trying to find out why T-Mobile has taken this action—as soon as we find out, we'll let you know.
I’m confused
18 people say
this solves the problem
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Inappropriate?This is a really big mistake on T-Mobile's part! Good luck getting it sorted out with them
I’m grim
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Inappropriate?This message from T-Mobile is shocking, but perhaps not surprising given the reputation of telecoms for sleazy business practices. This is the behavior of a monopolist--and as the #4 telecom provider T-Mobile really can't afford to position itself as the company least concerned with customer satisfaction. Come on, T-Mobile, step up and explain yourself! Are you really going to degrade yourself by picking on a startup with passionate users?
I’m disgusted
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Inappropriate?I am experiencing the same problem...we need to unite and voice our concern collectively to T-Mobile....I've been with them since 1997 (Omnipoint days).....and if they are willing to be uncooperative over this, who know what else they will do?
I’m ready to switch carriers!
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Inappropriate?I am not under contract with them and up until now I've been a big fan. I will have to call customer service, and investigate this. I may be forced to switch, which I do not want to do!
I’m disgusted
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Inappropriate?How can a T-Mobile sign on with Google's open Android platform and block third party services? Obviously they don't support open use so my excitement level for Android on T-Mobile has considerably diminished.
I’m pretty hacked off!
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Inappropriate?Hey all, we still don't know the what's and why's. But reports are coming in that T-Mobile has been resolving the problem.
How about you? Is your T-Mobile phone working with Twitter now?
I’m cautiously optimistic
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Inappropriate?What exactly does this prevent T-mobile users from doing? -
Inappropriate?This is totally par for the course in dealing with carriers. I've heard stories of them doing this sort of thing before beginning negotiations for "official service" status to make it clear who has the upper hand. Sort of like the Myspace/Photobucket war earlier this year. (Not that Twitter has any plans to sell to T-Mobile, hopefully.)
I can think of a few reasons they might turn off the service. All fall within the "be evil" policy of mobile companies.
1. T-Mobile is preparing to launch/support a rival service.
Without any hard facts I'd put my money on this one. With all the Twitter clones out there why wouldn't T-Mo just license one of them, white label it, and replace Twitter with something they own? Remember how the TV networks left all those clips on YouTube until they launched their own video sites? Same deal here -- let a startup prove the market then unplug them and offer your own thing. Of course, you lose the whole community thing, but most companies aren't so smart about that stuff when it conflicts with quarterly profits.
2. They're not making enough money
On Twitter's side it would be good to look at the message numbers and try to see things from T-Mobile's financial perspective. Check the number of Mobile Originated (MO's) messages, on which T-Mo earns money, against the Mobile Terminated (MT's) messages, on which they sort of lose money. If there is one MO for every thousand MT's they are probably losing money by supporting your service, at least in their short-sighted view. If there is one MO per 10 MT's they likely make money on your service, and it's in their interest to give Twitter some of the money to keep the service going. That's where the bare-knuckle negotiations come in.
3. Twitter is a pawn in a larger war.
Maybe T-Mo is in the middle of some fight with Twitter's SMS aggregator (the company that transfers the message from the internet to the mobile network). They could turn off Twitter as a way of hurting the aggregator and strengthening their negotiation position. It's likely that Twitter violates some part of some contract, since all the contracts are lopsided and unfair, so they can basically turn off any service at will.
4. Twitter was too much of a load on the network.
I doubt this one, since even a very popular service doesn't generate enough messages to cause trouble on such a large network. But perhaps there was some load issue and somebody wanted a quick way to lower SMS volume during the holidays. Hey, let's turn off this web thing, I doubt anyone will notice...
5. Some T-Mobile VP just now heard about Twitter.
It's possible that some clueless executive found out that a startup was allowing free text messages and ordered someone to shut down the service. Hopefully this isn't the case, because if it took them this long to hear about Twitter just imagine the wait before they realize all their best customers are gone.
--
My advice to Twitter: contact T-Mobile as if this were a technical error and play nice. At the same time contact every friend you have in the mobile industry, especially those who make $$ on you (like your aggregator and your ad company) and ask them to contact T-Mobile and advocate for you. This decision probably comes down to a product manager or VP's strategy opinion, so friendly encouragement and the promise of high revenues can go a long way.
I’m sadly familiar with this situation
12 people say
this solves the problem
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Inappropriate?I have a feeling that this won't last long. Between Twitter contacting them and tons of tmobile customers complaining I foresee twitter becoming unblocked. Probably the most popular add on is getting unlimited texting. Twitter is a service that makes you get the unlimited texting. It helps people decide to get unlimited.
I’m not a tmobile customer thankfully
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Inappropriate?I just sent the VP an email - I hope something is done about this soon. I upgraded to unlimited text messaging when I started using Twitter, so they will definitely be losing that monthly bit of money. Now might be a good time to look at the iPhone...
I’m irritated
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Inappropriate?Needless to say, we'll be watching this one closely, as our agency uses Twitter and other tools for the common good of those we proudly serve.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
I’m eager to find the details
9 people say
this solves the problem
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Inappropriate?Brian: I am blown away because I had not even considered that firefighters might be harnessing Twitter to help with instantaneous messages, but it makes complete sense now that you've opened my eyes to it. Please, if you have any time, feel free to add your station to Satisfaction. I am excited by the idea of public agencies on Satisfaction. We have a few already, but no firefighters, and I can't think of a better addition to our site. Thank you for this very interesting new idea!
I’m discovering something new!
2 people say
this solves the problem
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Inappropriate?Eric, thanks for the invite and your kind words... I actually registered our agency at getsatisfaction.com/LAFD earlier this evening!
I'm hoping that Biz won't hesitate to give me a call if he needs support in helping T-Mobile understand the wake of their decision.
I’m humbled by your kind words
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Inappropriate?Is it possible to send a message out via @twitter_status regarding the fact that T-Mobile has blocked Twitter? I'm sure there are still people out there that aren't watching these sites and are thinking Twitter is the ones with problems.... we need to get the word out so more people can voice their opinion to T-Mobile that Twitter does matter. -
Inappropriate?I am especially bothered that the return message received by T-Mobile customers is coming from 40404, and states:
"Service is temporarily down. Please, try again later."
This led me to believe that the problem was with Twitter, not T-Mobile. I had no idea about the block till I was tipped off by a fellow Twitter user- which I recevied via my Sidekick!
I’m out of contract, and ready for an iPhone!
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Inappropriate?twitter_status posted about it last night.
Initially, I thought that the problem was with Twitter and not T-Mobile too. Maybe they could post something to their blog as well? -
Inappropriate?It was posted that they were working on an issue. It would be nice to update that with the fact that T-Mobile is, in fact, blocking twitter.
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Inappropriate?Ah, I misunderstood what you meant. Sorry about that.
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Inappropriate?i called t-mobile last night. they said it was twitter's problem and to contact them. obviously not the case.
the message i am getting from my sidekick says:
"Service temporarily down. Please, try again later."
how can we escalate this when we call customer service?
I’m pissed
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Inappropriate?Tim O'Reilly, in today's NYTimes, explains why cell phone companies are being incredibly self-destructive when they pursue closed, anti-competitive systems like T-Mobile is doing here. He also expresses why there is so much to gain by an embrace of openness in its network. Here's a relevant excerpt:
And what if this phone company opened up its databases to developers of software applications? ... Consumers would flock to the best software, made by independent developers that a cellular network would enable by building a true Internet-style open platform. Goodbye to user-unfriendly service contracts as a way to keep customers captive. Who would switch carriers when so much knowledge about your social network resided on your phone company’s servers?
In short, the race is on for competitive advantage in the truly open cellular phone network of the future. Verizon hasn’t moved far enough — yet. If the cellular carriers don’t act, Google and its partners will beat them to the prize.
Tim is talking about market leader Verizon. But if T-Mobile wants to survive it better stop trying to emulate these cruel anti-customer tactics and start creating network value for its users. The full article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/15/opi...
I’m waiting for T-Mobile to respond here
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