This has been a wild few weeks for mobile communications carriers. First, there was a planned merger between AT&T and T-Mobile, only to have some severe pushback from the FCC. Then, the inter-waves exploded with news that most mobile devices were shipped by the carriers, complete with a piece of software the blab-o-sphere claimed spied on not only your every move, but your every keystroke.
Related: Is Android secure enough for mission-critical government and military use? (Exclusive video)
Into this maelstrom of activity comes the very intrepid and very good-natured Frank Sickinger, Vice President, B2B, MNC and Federal Government Sales at T-Mobile USA. Well before all this chaos hit, Frank and I had planned to sit down for an in-depth discussion about government communications and mobile security.
I gotta hand it to the man. Even after all heck hit the fan, and even after I made it clear I was going to dig hard into these hot-button topics, Frank was man enough to show up and join me on camera. Even more impressive was both how open and how friendly the discussion was.
Frank was also a very good sport, not only for diving into Carrier IQ and AT&T, but weighing in on his perception of the future of BlackBerry, and even whether or not T-Mobile wants to be in the iPhone business. And yes, we did manage to talk about government communications, as well.
This is a fascinating interview and it’s not to be missed.
Read more about Carrier IQ:
- Carrier IQ tries to spin its way out of trouble
- Carrier IQ patent outlines keylogging and ability to target individual devices
- Carrier IQ is good for you, so why get so spun up?
- Apple questioned by German authorities over Carrier IQ software
- Check your Android handset for Carrier IQ rootkit
- Carrier IQ ‘not used’ by major UK mobile networks
- Carrier IQ snooping reports are “mostly exaggerated”, says researcher
- Apple: We stopped using Carrier IQ in iOS 5
- Carrier IQ speaks out: Points finger at networks, customers
- A carrier insider talks about Carrier IQ
- Which phones, networks run Carrier IQ mobile tracking software?
- Finding and cleaning out your smartphone’s Carrier IQ poison
- Senator demands answers over Carrier IQ mobile phone tracking
- 7 questions that Carrier IQ needs to address immediately
- How to disable the Carrier IQ ‘rootkit’ on your iPhone
- CarrierIQ: Follow the money and it is the carriers behind it
- So, there’s a rootkit hidden in millions of cellphones
- Rootkit called Carrier IQ discovered phoning home with user data
Read more about the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger:
- AT&T lashes out at opponents following latest FCC report
- Another AT&T Hail Mary pass for T-Mobile: The joint venture
- FCC twists knife in AT&T’s chest; Criticizes ‘false claims’ over acquisition of T-Mobile
- AT&T: Is the T-Mobile effort worth the hassle?
- AT&T foresees T-Mobile merger to fail, claims $4 billion in charges
- Report: FCC chief wants hearing on AT&T, T-Mobile merger
