Google's vision of tomorrow's wireless network is in stark contrast to how wireless operators do business today, setting the two sides on a possible collision course.
Earlier this week, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application describing Google's vision of an open wireless network where smartphones aren't tied to any single mobile phone network. In Google's open wireless world, phones and other wireless devices would search for the strongest, fastest connection at the most competitive price. Essentially, wireless operators' networks would be reduced to 'dumb pipes' — a term used in the industry to describe a situation where an operator simply sells connectivity, allowing others to provide all the content that flows through that connection..
The idea is that, depending on where a wireless user is at any given time, he could be on any number of networks. For example, if coverage is better from Verizon Wireless at home, a subscriber might connect to that network to make phone calls. But he might use AT&T while at work, where the signal is stronger. Price would also be a factor, and operators would constantly be vying in a sort of auction to provide the most competitive pricing for the call.
Meanwhile, users could also access other free or low-cost networks. So if, for example, someone wanted to surf the web from their phone, they could connect via a Wi-Fi or WiMax network. Or people may even be able to connect to a network that uses yet-to-be available 'white space' spectrum.
This notion of a device connecting to any network is quite different from how the wireless industry operates today. When people buy mobile phones today, they're essentially locked to one provider. A particular provider may have roaming agreements with other mobile phone operators, but customers have a contract and billing relationship with one mobile phone operator. And if they decide to switch carriers, they usually have to pay a penalty for breaking a contract, and they must purchase a phone that will work on the new network.
Of course, consumers don't have the same issues in the broadband market, where people can connect to any broadband network using any computer, whether it be a Wi-Fi, cable or DSL connection.
Carriers are beginning to offer consumers some alternatives. Apple's iPhone, which is sold exclusively in the US on AT&T's network, also has Wi-Fi. And users regularly choose to surf the net on Wi-Fi connections. T-Mobile has a service that allows subscribers with Wi-Fi-enabled phones to switch between the T-Mobile cellular network and a home Wi-Fi connection.
Verizon Wireless also recently announced it would not require contracts in exchange for consumers paying full retail price for devices. And all four of the major mobile carriers in the US have begun pro-rating contracts so the penalty for leaving a service before the contract expires decreases over time.
Playing by the rules
But wireless operators have stopped short of offering truly open networks that would allow consumers to bring any device onto their networks. For instance, Verizon Wireless's Open Network Initiative announced last year isn't really open. The company isn't allowing any device to connect to its network. It's simply speeding up the certification process.
Executives at these companies argue that they need to certify devices to ensure service quality. Recently, T-Mobile chief executive Robert Dotson told an audience at the CTIA tradeshow…
