Open source hardware and software can spread quickly to those who want it, and clearly companies that sell mobile phones do not want it. But there are enough smart people out there that communities could build the phones they want. So the issue is coverage. nG should be like WiFi - as open or closed as the owner of the hotspot wants, controllable, et cetera. As has been pointed out, a little weak on security, but nothing that cannot be fixed. The problem is that mobile devices move around more than the average computer, even including laptops. This is why cell towers have been built to cover wide areas, and of course companies need to be big enough to have enough money to build them. Big companies tend to not like 'open'. Communities might be able to raise enough money, but towers are unsightly and some people claim they cause health problems. So the answer might be mesh networks - chances are, a given mobile device is a lot closer to another device than the nearest tower, so signals do not have to have quite a strong amplitude. This means that people can provide each other with coverage, bypassing vendors. -Arlo
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