I know we are thinking about what the subscription fee structure means to us. Please let’s keep in mind that Jolla is introducing this new fee structure just as they have had to radically restructure their company around the ejection of a major investor. Years ago, while previously teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Jolla enrolled Russian telecom as a major stakeholder which kept the company afloat. Now by removing Rostelecom they are plunged into another precarious state as they gain their independence but lose several millions of Euros as support and investment. Only a few months ago they were on the verge of bankruptcy again.
The subscription comes with restructuring as a promise to their creditors that, as a company, they have a plan to plug this significant Rostelecom-sized hole, appropriately manage risk, and handle their debts. Hence also the spinning off of the automotive wing, the development of the AI wing as separate companies so as to manage risk while also providing new avenues for generating sustainable profit; hence the new partnerships with companies in Türkiye and in the US; and the sale of Jolla’s holdings to the new entity Jollyboy. These are all ways to demonstrate to their board, their employees, and their customers that they are a company with a future that can keep the lights on. Throughout they are only oriented toward sustainability—not mad profits in ROI for Silicon Valley VC which drives enshittification.
For users, the new fee structure may be frustrating, even if the cost is less than monthly subscription for other privacy-forward EU services like Proton. However, I appreciate that they will continue to accommodate anyone who cannot afford to subscribe by keeping 10ii and 10iii support on license model. That is definitely a viable option for the next several years- my sfos phones have never been obsolete on the software front, I’ve only had to replace with hardware issues (I.e. sunsetting the 3G networks). So users who need that option can still participate fully. As we move forward let’s all work to ensure that Jolla does not forget our non-subscription friends who cannot pay for the service.
Among my friends in F/OSS communities this all may come as another point of resistance, and I fully understand that. But given what I also know happens in most tech corporations, I deeply appreciate that Jolla is still very heavily mission-driven, not compromising on privacy or making sacrifices to scale or make millions for investors or even to pay their debts. They are trying an existing model just to stay afloat and keep their privacy-centric vision alive, while maintaining their independence over the system they develop,
