[GRLUG] kill switches

[Bruce Smith]

>> How else would a cell provider fix phones with evil apps, without the
>> labor of employees manually fixing the problem?  Or the phone support
>> time required to talk each customer through the process of fixing it
>> themselves (assuming the customers have another phone to call in on:)?
>
> How do ISPs do it?

They simply cut off your internet totally.  A DSL provider can cut off
your internet without cutting off your voice land lines.

Can cellular providers do the same (yes)?
As easy?  I don't know for sure.

If cell providers can easily cut off the internet only to individual
phones, AND if it's completely _impossible_ for an app on your phone
to muck with the voice side of the network, then maybe kill switches
aren't necessary.  However, I don't believe both conditions are true
at this time.  Especially the part about an app mucking with the voice
network since the app is running on the same device as the voice.
With DSL and cable, the modems are separate devices from the phone/TV
connections, physically isolating the two networks from each other.

To get what you want, simply buy a PCMCIA/USB cellular modem (no
voice) for your laptop, and you have your wish.  You can run any app
you want over a cellular internet connection (on your own computer)
with no kill switches.

 - BS