Google Wireless?
Google announced last Friday that it earmarked at least $4.6 billion to enter the wireless industry via an upcoming federal auction of the once-occupied 700-MHz band of airwaves. But Google also said it won't participate in the auction unless the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agrees to an "open access" framework, which would give people their free choice in combining phone, software, and service provider. That's a big change from today's "locked" policy, where consumers are limited to buying packaged phone/software/service bundles. And, with the exception of forward-thinking AT&T, the major telcos don't like the "open access" idea one bit. Verizon even called it an "open access regime" that would stifle innovation. (Logic?) It's easy to think they're opposed to the change because it would likely bring a new and frightening competitor -- the Google. How realistic is the switch to open access? Barry Levine reports in an interesting article from CIO Today:
Support for open access received a boost earlier this month, when FCC Chair Kevin Martin circulated a proposal for auction rules that called for an "open platform." At the time, he told USA Today that, if his proposal were adopted, the auction winner would need to provide "a truly open broadband network" in which a consumer could "use any wireless device and download any mobile broadband application, with no restrictions," except for illegal or malicious software.Despite support from the highest-ranking FCC official, open access still faces policy barriers that have to be overcome for Google to play its hand. Assuming, however, that the search king does expand into wireless, consumers could expect a flood of mobile applications with unparalleled Internet functionality. Meanwhile, with Apple's recent move into mobile hardware and the apparent Apple-Google strategic alliance, it's natural to ponder the possibility of a dynamic-duo plot to takeover the wireless world. That's admittedly speculation, but one thing is a sure bet -- Google Wireless would change the industry forever.
(Image of Google Signage by Matt McGee, CC 2.0)