Now they want to make better use of it. They want vendors to send you SMS messages, they want you buying e-services with WAP, but most of all they want to mediate your transactions. Already telcos are offering services to internet sites. Services like security. Rather than ask for an on-line credit card, send the customer a message on the digital hand phone.
Digital signals are secure.
Use it for passwords, use it for transaction confirmation but best of all use it because the customer needs to be holding the phone. It's instant security. Providing no one is duplicating the SIM cards. Who needs a credit card when the phone company can bill you. It has got to be more convenient.