…well not entirely)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7010ae7a-f4c6-11e4-8a42-00144feab7de.html?siteedition=uk#axzz3aC2mKXeU

Several mobile operators plan to block advertising on their networks, setting the stage for a battle with digital media companies such as Google, AOL and Yahoo.
One European wireless carrier told the Financial Times that it has installed blocking software in its data centres and planned to turn it on before the end of 2015.

ahem….

“Online advertising is out of control and it’s polluting the user experience,” he said. Pop-ups, auto-playing videos and other forms of digital advertising can consume between 10 and 50 per cent of a mobile subscriber’s data plan, he added.
While ad-blocking is a new phenomenon on mobiles, it is more established on PCs and growing quickly. More than 140m people, or 5 per cent of the online population, use software such as Adblock Plus to eliminate adverts when browsing the web on laptops or desktop computers.

As a Google apps subscriber ($50 a user a year) I generally dont suffer from Google intrusiveness. But it is the thin end of the net neutrality wedge…

EDIT: PS hattip – Brantweet newswire services

Well I’d be very keen to move to a network that banned ads. Hopefully Three is one of those considering it.

As an aside this is what the government should have done to ensure the online companies pay the taxes from ad revenue that they have been avoiding.

Pop-ups, auto-playing videos and other forms of digital advertising can consume between 10 and 50 per cent of a mobile subscriber’s data plan,

I can see his point. Mobile networks were built to carry voice (and SMS). Data is much harder, and more network intensive to carry. If they’re having to deliver this additional data at the same time users are smashing through their 4G allowances at an exponential rate, then the network investment has to be made even faster. Combine that with falling user revenues, the networks are facing a margin squeeze without any control over that.

And, of course, the user experience is poor if so much of an allowance is being hoovered up by advertising. That will create bill shock and drive churn. Telecoms business hate losing customers because it costs so much to win new ones….

What the networks should be doing of course is getting a revenue share from the advertisers….

What the networks should be doing of course is getting a revenue share from the advertisers….

No doubt this is their game plan, smart. As I posted the government should take note its been far too soft on this stuff

Excellent news. And while they’re at it they can crack down on spam texts and telemarketers.