One of the main reasons Google decided to enter the wireless industry is it wants consumers to have more, better options for a wireless carrier. It hasn’t entered the industry yet, but it’s already had a major impact here in the US. Further proving that competition is always better for consumers, Verizon will open its network to other devices in 2008.

As the most locked-down wireless service provider in the US, Verizon is the last company expected to make this move. Verizon is known to disable phone features, installing its proprietary OS on every non-smartphone offered.

This isn’t the company’s first announcement describing plans to open the network. In September Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, Verizon’s parent company, announced that when Verizon goes 4G, it will adopt the 4G GSM technology known as LTE, or Long Term Evolution. Currently, Verizon uses the CDMA standard, which provides for an advanced, reliable but very closed system. The GSM standard, on the other hand, is a more common standard around the world, and it also provides for easy methods of allowing unlocked handsets to connect. This is, unfortunately, not expected to happen until 2013, so what does Verizon have planned for next year?

Early in 2008, according to CNN, it will publish technical standards for the development community. Any device that meets the minimum technical standards can be activated for the network. This includes everything from video game consoles, Google’s Andrioid handsets, refrigerators, cars, and maybe even the 3G iPhone expected next year. Sarin recently made it clear that he’d be willing to release the iPhone through his company but only when the device goes 3G.

Related:

Entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pm under Cell phones, Technology.

Read more entries by Danny Mendez.
Stumble It!