The ‘Gphone Effect’ Is Affecting Verizon While They Deny It

Published on November 28th, 2007

Verizon opens up, will support any device, any app on its network

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” appears to be Verizon Wireless’ new motto as it today announced an impressive “open access” plan for its network that will go into effect next year. Any application can run on any device from any developer and will have full access to Verizon spectrum, so long as it can properly connect to the network. Google, can you hear us now?

In a conference call this morning, Verizon’s top brass insisted that the news had nothing to do with political pressure or with the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction (which will require some winners to abide by such open access rules). However, they also made clear that Verizon’s open solution will be in place in 2008, not in 2011 (when the new 700MHz spectrum owner could conceivably start bringing a new network online).

3 users responded in " The ‘Gphone Effect’ Is Affecting Verizon While They Deny It "

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# 1 Kevin said, on November 28th, 2007 at 7:02 am

Verizon is very very proprietary. They have a policy of locking up the BLUETOOTH functionality of their devices. I wonder if this will mean that they will start opening up the use of BLUETOOTH.

# 2 AlanB said, on November 28th, 2007 at 7:50 am

Yeah! Whether gPhone or Android ever come to fruition the mere threat proposed by Google and the OHA will make us all winners. Perhaps in a few years the USA will catch up with Europe where I understand fully 50% of phones are sold unlocked and with all the features the manufacturers designed into them.

# 3 Stu Mulne said, on November 28th, 2007 at 7:55 am

I’ve got a Razr from Verizon. The phone’s nice, but the interface is inconsistent. Dunno about the Bluetooth – it works well with the headset they gave me, but shutting Bluetooth OFF, when I don’t want to carry the headset is an interface nightmare.

The service quality is inconsistent, too, around here – just not built out enough, I think.

It would be nice if I could put a better phone on the system next year when this one “expires”, but I’ll probably jump. For now, it’s adequate, or they’d have gotten it back.

(The local sales office is in a “good” area – my home/office is in a “bad” one. We’re about six miles apart on the same straight-line roadway…. Big hill between us, though.)

Regards,

Stu.

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