Internet monitoring isn't just for the US government as mobile network operators turn to real-time analysis to work out what we're doing, and what we're going to be doing, too. The live data processing comes from Actix, which reckons we should expect connectivity congestion reports from mobile operators (eg: there's heavy data …

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Monday 10th June 2013 14:13 GMT Anonymous Coward

Giving for free, whilst the Security Agencies have to dig for it

And theres the lesson of the story.

Our interpid Scot is happily helping the Mobile network, and Twitter build a handy little database about who Her friends are and where they're located, and what data they like to share. Even paying the network for the priviledge, and sucking up the adverts on Twitter as she does so.

Meanwhile, the security agencies have to do it behind closed doors and 'in secret'.

Just remember folks...You're the product, not the customer.

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1. Monday 10th June 2013 14:48 GMT JDX
  
  Re: Giving for free, whilst the Security Agencies have to dig for it
  
  Please can we just ban cliched lines like "You're the product, not the customer"; honestly it gets so tiring and is just a way for people who nothing about the issues to trot out trite comments to sound current.
  
  I hate companies trying to make their service better as much as the next guy, but really...
  
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  1. Monday 10th June 2013 15:07 GMT NinjasFTW
    
    Re: Giving for free, whilst the Security Agencies have to dig for it
    
    @JDX
    
    agreed In this case the line is crap unless there is a free mobile plan somewhere that I don't know about.
    
    The problem is that this 'better service' will only be for those who are prepared to pay extra every month.
    
    Fancy reading the news as it happens rather than in 4 hours when our network traffic dies down. That will be 10p per page thanks.
    
    If the base price of the package dropped then maybe that could work however I think pink unicorns falling from the skies would be more likely.
    
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Monday 10th June 2013 15:16 GMT h3

I don't mind them making it better by the correct method.

(Building more base stations / caching / QoS if it is done properly(Yet to see an ISP who even understands it properly though. Other than perhaps BT deciding that they don't need it now.)).

I hate the automatic image quality reducing thing they use. (Means you cannot download anything without it getting corrupted such as an iso. So you end up doing it twice (Once over ssh)).

I wouldn't mind them turning on and off base stations according to network loads.

It is bad now Tmobile is copying the worst parts of Orange there isn't a somewhat reasonable network.

(3 has awful customer service but maybe I will give them another chance).bb

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Monday 10th June 2013 15:20 GMT Christian Berger

If only 5% of the masts carry most of the traffic?

Why don't they just upgrade those masts? I mean there are lots of technologies from directional antennas to adaptive beam forming. Of course those are expensive, but you only need that for 5% of your network.

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1. Monday 10th June 2013 15:34 GMT Ragarath
  
  Re: If only 5% of the masts carry most of the traffic?
  
  It is only 5% because it is pointless on most masts to attempt a connection, unless you want to wait for an hour to get the google homepage.
  
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Monday 10th June 2013 15:55 GMT Suricou Raven

Please, someone just start a CAN system.

This aggressive caching is just a particually ugly workaround for the lack of a true content-addressibly network functionality on the internet. Build it, problem solved.

Well, technological problem solved. The truth really is that a CAN solution would cost a fortune to deploy, is of no value at all unless sites are designed to work with it, and could be a legal headache when it starts to cache anything illegal. So it's not going to happen unless someone like Google throws their weight behind it.

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Monday 10th June 2013 16:01 GMT Rick Giles

I thought Milo Hoffman had fixed all this...

when he worked on Synapse at NURV.

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