The current wireless industry is a mess. Customer service
for wireless carriers is not great, the rest of the world is passing us
by with greater speeds, and consolidation is
eliminating many small wireless carriers. Contracts are still an expensive
venture, and data caps are ravaging our wireless bills. In short, a lot of
people love smartphones and
tablets, but they don’t love carriers. But what if your carrier was the same
company designing the software inside your phone? Rumors of Google starting its
own wireless carrier go back to 2008, and they’re back again. Google may soon sell wireless service. Here’s everything we’ve ever heard
about Google and its wireless dreams, starting way back at the beginning.
2008: It all started with an auction
During
the FCC’s (Federal Communications Commission) wireless spectrum auction, which
started in 2007 and closed in 2008, Google wrote out a set of provisions that
detail how the wireless spectrum in the 700MHz band should be used by whoever
won it. In short, Google wanted a sense of openness to it by wanting open
applications, devices, services, and, most importantly, networks. AT&T and Verizon,
the near duopoly of U.S. carriers that make billions by controlling closed
networks and locking customers in, had different plans.
The FCC heeded Google’s wants by establishing a rule that
forced carriers to allow any device on their 700MHz LTE networks, but Verizon
and AT&T circumvented the rule by making devices that were technically
incompatible with each other’s networks.
2012: Google and … Dish Network?
Google went quiet for a while as Android grew in popularity,
but fast forward to 2012 and reports began to pop up that Google would partner
with Dish Network in an effort to launch a wireless service. Based on what sources
at the time said, both companies were in preliminary talks but no finalized
deal was reached. Dish Network wanted a wireless partner, but according to
Dish chairman Charlie Ergen, it was looking for a company with
already-established wireless towers but no wireless network.
Google reportedly hoped that its wireless service would be
data-only in order to use data connections for things such as phone calls and
text messages. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with Dish. Even so, that
didn’t stop Google.
Jan. 2013: Testing wireless in the Googleplex
In January 2013, a report from the Wall Street Journal confirmed that Google
was ready to build its own wireless network, kind of. The report detailed that
Google was trying to create and deploy an experimental wireless network that
would only cover its headquarters in Mountain View, California. Even though the
small-scale network would not have much range and be practically incompatible
with most iOS and Android handsets and cellular-equipped tablets, its
frequencies could work well enough in dense urban areas, if Google chose to
expand it.
Google wants to become a mobilevirtual
network operator (MVNO)
A week before the report surfaced, Google submitted an
application to the FCC, which asked for an experimental license in order to
create an “experimental radio service” that would have a two-mile radius. The
network supported frequencies from 2524 to 2625MHz. These are frequencies that
wireless networks in China, Brazil, and Japan already have, but that aren’t
commonly used in the United States.
May 2013: Targeting emerging markets, one at a time
A few months later, the Wall Street Journal made another
discovery. This time, it reported that Google would built its own
wireless network in emerging markets around the world.
According to the report, Google planned to partner with
local telecommunications firms and equipment providers — in areas such as
Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa — to build out networks. In addition,
Google planned to create new business models to support the networks. Google
didn’t comment on the report, but sources said that, in some cases, Google
would also utilize airwaves used for television broadcasts, so long as
government regulators were fine with it.
It will take time to build out these networks, but Google
has begun.
2014: Google renting data access from Verizon and Sprint
This brings us to today. The Information reports that Google
wants to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). It is reportedly in
talks with Verizon and Sprint, and hopes to license and resell data access to
their networks.
This is
where Google
Fiber fits in. That same report claims that Google will rely on Wi-Fi
calling made through Google Fiber Wi-Fi hotspots. The Information believes that
Google’s wireless service would use carriers’ networks only when service is
either insufficient or not available. To take real advantage of this, you’d
have to live in a Fiber-supported area, which, at the moment, only include
Kansas City, Missouri and Provo, Utah, though Fiber will be expanded to more
metro areas in the near future.
It seems as if Google is slowly piecing a wireless network
together.
What does this mean for you?
As of right now, this is a pipe dream. Nothing has been
confirmed, and while these are strong and persistent rumors, they are still
just rumors.
Even so, it never hurts to think about the possibilities. If
a report from 2012 is any indication, Google will have a data-only network
where voice calls and text messages would be delivered through data
connections. Google already does this with Hangouts, which is the only thing
other than Fiber that we can concretely look at and wonder if this is what
Google sees as the future.
We’re still not sure what Google is up to, but if it starts
a good business as a MVNO, there’s no reason why competitors like Apple
couldn’t test the waters as well. Disruption is exactly what we need in the
wireless industry. With cell
phone bills that are many
times more expensive than most countries around the world, it’s not
like things can get much worse.
DT
No comments:
Post a Comment