Inbox: Brits ditching mobiles? Fat chance

"But how wonderful were it only true"

The weekly Inbox column collects the best and most thought-provoking of the reader comments silicon.com receives each week.
This week: Brits ditching their mobiles, pilots bailing out on ID cards, smart metering and speed-limiting tech all topped the list for readers' rants. Do you agree with them? Read on below, and don't forget to post your own response to any of these stories or comments.

A quarter of Brits to ditch their mobiles
UK consumers are expected to cut back even further on their communications spend in the months ahead, a study found, adding additional pressure to telecoms who have already seen profits shrink.

Don't believe it
"23% said they may stop using their phone altogether".

I'd like to see exactly how the question was phrased. I don't believe anywhere near that percentage of people would seriously consider stopping using a mobile phone just to save money.
Ollie Clark, Leeds

"Utter rubbish"
A quarter of Brits to ditch their mobile phones? Utter rubbish. I'd like to look at the methodology behind this 'survey'.
Chris Blake, London

Not a landline fan
Well I must be one of the 57 per cent as I shall not be using my landline more.

If having a landline number wasn't used as part of calculating ones credit rating I would dump my landline in preference for my mobile.
Guy Reynolds, Letchworth

"How wonderful were it only true!"
But how wonderful were it only true! Less 'I'm on the train' crap for the rest of us to be forced to listen to.
Chris Parsons, Sussex Downs

Fixed price in future
I think much of this will go the converged comms route with a fixed price for all being the norm in a few years.
Anonymous, Birmingham

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Smart meter in every UK home by 2020
The government has launched a consultation on plans to install smart meters in every UK home by 2020.

How much is it going to cost?
A smart meter would communicate over IP broadband, so all houses that want energy will need to have broadband? Our skyboxes communicate our viewing habits, will the front door also communicate the time I left for work and converged comms know not to ring the house phone but divert to mobile?

Will this smart meter be paid for by me, and will I need to upgrade it every three years to meet different tracking needs from other supply companies?

How much power will 26 million smart meters need to power and then recycle the equipment?
Stuart Fawcett, London

Self-funding?
The project should be self-funding, lead to reduced costs as people will be much more aware of consumption and can track it properly. Shame about the jobs of the metering people...

Maybe they could combine this with fibre to the home and insulating houses in the UK as eco-driven job-generation programmes - with the savings gained this could almost be self funding over 10 years.
Anonymous, Birmingham

Who's gonna cough up?
I have a couple of questions:

First, how exactly will these meters communicate with the energy provider, will they use existing networks piggybacking on the home broadband, if so, how much bandwidth will they use? What do they do if the home does not have a network connection - will one be provided and will the resident have access to it?

Secondly who will pay for this? If the energy provider pays then it will be added to the bill at some point and we will pay for it, if the government pays for it then it will come out of our taxes and we will pay for it.
Karen Challinor, UK

What about security?
I can see some interesting possibilities - but only if the meters can be integrated into our networks. It would be interesting to log power usage on the back-room server and see when/where we're using the power.

I do foresee security issues though. The comms from meter to billing co has to be 100% secure - if it isn't then it opens up all sorts of potential fraud or opportunities for 'pranks'..
Simon, Cumbria

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Speed-limiter tech trial coming this summer
Transport for London has confirmed it will road-test speed-limiting technology within the M25 area - as reported on silicon.com last year.

Stiff opposition
"If two-thirds of london drivers use the system ...."

I predict that it will be a major miracle if two-thirds of London drivers agree to fit this to their vehicles, and if the government tries to make the device compulsory by legislation they are going to face extremely stiff opposition from motorists.
Karen Challinor, UK

Nothing new
This is not new technology, it's just a "Road Angel" connected to a cruise control. Most sat-navs can do this as well
Chris Anderson, Colchester

Drivers driving badly
If two-thirds of London drivers looked where they were going, stayed off the phone while driving, stopped for red lights and generally desisted from driving like cretins then we could reduce accidents by a damn' sight more than 10 per cent.

But of course that wouldn't give another revenue stream, would it?

Am I being overly cynical?
Simon Bradley, London

Pilots to bail out on ID cards
The majority of pilots in the UK do not want ID cards and will fight plans to force them onto air crews.

But where are the readers?
I would like to know how it will enable airport workers to move around different airport jobs any easier than they can at the moment?

They don't have any card readers etc and so I don't see how things will be improved upon?

People should now realise (if they haven't already) that when people (government) tell you something and then ignore any questions you have...they are basically full of rubbish/lies and don't actually have a clue!
Richard Davies, North Yorkshire

Cut of their 'perks'
Ahh come on people, have a heart! You've stopped them from claiming for their swimming pools. You stopped them building a property portfolio at the taxpayers' expense. Now you want to actually make them justify the massively expensive schemes.

What? Did you really think they got themselves elected to serve the people of this country?
Andrew Meredith, Chippenham,

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