verizon

The most interesting bit of this piece over at The International Herald Tribune is not the it's-not-that-special, it's-just-an-announcement, we-could-have-done-it-too-if-we-wanted-to-but-we-don't rhetoric coming from Nokia. Rather, it's this sentence:

...Google did not invite Nokia to join its Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 companies that includes Motorola, Samsung, and other phone makers.

Now that got my attention. They weren't invited? I, honestly, cannot think of a good reason why not. Let's face it, Nokia is an industry leader because it, for the most part, makes pretty good phones. Maybe it has something to do with Nokia's unrepentant Symbian love?

Maybe it's 'cause Sergey is Russian, and the Russians and the Fins have a tempestuous history? (This is a joke, people, calm down.)

It makes one wonder--was Verizon 'invited'? AT&T (who is, apparently, "in negotiations" with Google)? Was there a method to Google's selection of OHA players? Were they purposefully looking for the second- and third-place carriers and makers (at least in America), who may be more likely to support an industry-changing movement?

USAToday has the quote in this article, straight from AT&T Wireless's CEO Ralph de la Vega: "You can use any handset on our network you want...We don't prohibit it, or even police it."

Apparently this isn't really new, its just that AT&T is finally admitting it:

AT&T for years kept quiet the fact that wireless customers had the option of using devices and applications other than those offered by AT&T. But now salespeople in AT&T phone stores will make sure that consumers "know all their options" before making a final purchase.

The AT&T wireless chief won't say whether AT&T plans to launch a marketing campaign to push "open" platforms, but allows that might be a possibility.

Well damn. It's been a busy few weeks in the American wireless world -- Android, Verizon, and now AT&T. I need a drink.

BusinessWeek is reporting that Verizon is, indeed, going to support Android.

Hot on the heels of its announcement of an impending opening of its network, Verizon has shown the Google OS some love. Specifically, CEO Lowell McAdam told BW "We're planning on using Android...Android is an enabler of what we do."

After dropping this little nugget, the article goes on to detail McAdam's year long push to more openness for the mobile giant. It's an inspiring tail of triumph over adversity and stuff.

At this point the momentum towards a more open US (and hopefully Canadian) mobile market seems unstoppable. Give it a year, though, and we'll see what the reality is.

Verizon has issued a press release announcing that...

...it will provide customers the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network, wireless devices, software and applications not offered by the company. Verizon Wireless plans to have this new choice available to customers throughout the country by the end of 2008.

In early 2008, the company will publish the technical standards the development community will need to design products to interface with the Verizon Wireless network. Any device that meets the minimum technical standard will be activated on the network. Devices will be tested and approved in a $20 million state-of-the-art testing lab which received an additional investment this year to gear up for the anticipated new demand. Any application the customer chooses will be allowed on these devices.

While not directly Android related, the news that Verizon will allow third party hardware and software on its network means that, OHA member or not, Android-running handsets will be welcome on the network.

Of course, the more cynical among us may accuse Verizon of making this move in order to show good intentions to the FCC in their bid for the 700mhz space. And the inordinately pessimistic among us may may worry that, when push comes to shove, Verizon's technical standards may be so stringent that third-party products are effectively shut out anyway.

But I'm not a sardonic person person, really, so I'll just hope that Verizon's announcement is the next step in a wholesale revolution in the US mobile carrier scene.

UPDATE: FCC Chairman Martin has published a positive opinion regarding the Verizon announcement. From his statement:

Today’s announcement, along with the Open Handset Alliance’s previous announcement of an open platform capable of working on multiple networks, is a significant step towards fulfilling these goals. I am optimistic that Verizon Wireless’s commitment along with the upcoming spectrum auction will ensure an exciting new era in wireless technology for the benefit of all consumers.