Google Effects Change in Cell Networks
From CNN Money:
Verizon Wireless said Tuesday that it would allow any device or software to run on its wireless network as it heeds the industry call for more openness.
It’s a reversal for the No. 2 U.S. carrier, which is known to be the most protective of its network, and an acknowledgment of the direction of the wireless industry. Google Inc. (GOOG) is spearheading a similar move with an open-standards software platform - dubbed Android - and already counts Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Deutsche Telekom AG’s (DT) T-Mobile USA as allies.
“I think it’s a reaction to Google,” said Tole Hart, an analyst at Gartner Inc. “I think it’ll help them. It gives customers more options.”
The notion of openness in the U.S. is complicated by the disparate networks running. In Europe, cellphones roam seamlessly from network to network because all of them run under the same standard. But Verizon runs under a standard called CDMA, which differs from much of the world and that of the nation’s largest carrier, AT&T Inc. (T).
