| Perhaps it is a sidelight to the story of cellular phones, | | | | World have assimilated the technology and |
| but the technology of cell phones has liberated people | | | | incorporated cell phones into their armory of weapons. |
| across the world from the slavery of a wirebound | | | | They use various technologies and among them is one |
| telephone, and a wirebound telephone company. | | | | of the latest versions of the cell phone/service |
| In countries other than the United States, the telephone | | | | combination. Entering into a "plan" with a cell phone |
| company was traditionally a government concern. | | | | service provider has often been a tricky issue. |
| Phone companies were State Run monopolies, and | | | | Permanent address, proper identification, and a credit |
| the stringing of wire to an area, or the cutting of a | | | | check have been requirements to start a cell plan |
| connection to an area could be used as an extension | | | | going. That all changed when the cell phone |
| of the political power of the government. Sometimes | | | | manufacturers continued dropping the prices on cell |
| the saturation (how many people had the service) of | | | | phones. |
| wire, or land-line, telephones was limited by the | | | | Suddenly there were "pay as you go" telephone |
| government's available capital. | | | | services, which allowed you to purchase special |
| Sometimes, it was limited by the government's desire | | | | phones and debit card type "minutes" cards, so that |
| to control dissemination of knowledge, as it was in | | | | you could use the phone and "recharge" minutes |
| such states as the (former) Soviet Union. Dictatorships | | | | without offering any identification. This great |
| understand the truth of the statement "knowledge is | | | | convenience is known to Law enforcement and |
| power," and have always worked to control the | | | | security as "untraceable" "toss-away" phones. There is |
| knowledge of the people. Now those same countries | | | | no need to leave a trail when using these phones, as |
| often have heavy saturation of cell phones as they still | | | | soon as the original minutes are used, the phone is |
| suffer from lack of infrastructure. | | | | dropped into the garbage and replaced with another, |
| The Second Russian Revolution, also known as the fall | | | | with a "fresh" number. |
| of the Soviet Union was in part fueled by the | | | | If you were wondering what the arguments about the |
| dissemination of knowledge through the internet, and | | | | "Patriot Act" were about, these cell phones were at |
| cell phones. As people can freely gather and form | | | | the center of the most heated arguments. Law |
| communities, they can assemble to act for mutual | | | | enforcement and security people don't like them |
| goals. | | | | because they are the favorite communication device |
| Interestingly, some of the enemies of the Western | | | | of lawbreakers, including drug dealers. |