Sling Media VP discusses the implications of 3G service agreements
Sling Media VP of Market Development Jeremy Toeman has weighed in on the vague wording in certain carrier service agreements (most notably Verizon's) which seem to stipulate that multimedia streaming services -- like Sling's upcoming SlingPlayer Mobile -- violate the terms of service for allowable uses of 3G. Toeman posits that the wording of some service agreements could be interpreted "as meaning that viewing anything other than plain hypertext is against the terms of service," adding that "it appears to be set up so the carriers can deem things appropriate as they see fit." If carriers do decide to play hardball in limiting certain broadband activities, this could mean that the mobile Sling service might conceivably be restricted to WiFi-only use by WM5 device owners. While we don't really agree with Toeman's assertion that "SlingPlayer Mobile is a complementary product" to the carriers' proprietary video offerings, he convincingly argues that Sling- and Orb-like services, combined with Windows Mobile's newfound push-email functionality, could help lure RIM-devotees away from their precious Crackberries. And despite what has been labeled as initial resistance by the major wireless players, Toeman feels that "it's certainly conceivable that we will have an offering in conjunction with a mobile carrier down the road."
