More on Google Phone and Openness

Google continues to hint at plans to disrupt the mobile industry in some way with talk of spectrum bid.

Google recently discussed the possibility of bidding billions of dollars for a wireless spectrum that’s going for auction in 2008. What does this mean to Google’s deals with wireless carriers? Not necessarily much, yet, according to Google’s Larry Page.

Page reiterated that there is no need for Google to get into the wireless space on its own, but he did say that Google wants to continue to improve open access to the web for all users, mobile or not. Buying a wireless spectrum while making deals with more wireless carriers gives Google a “plan B” if carriers cannot meet their demands for free and open access to information. Therefore, while the Google Phone thus far may not seem to be a disruptive technology in the hardware sense, its affect on the wireless industry’s business models will be.

All of the hype surrounding the mythical Google Phone will only help fuel demand for it, which is good for mobile Java application developers, if the phone includes Java. And while Google’s plans for free and open access to information are admirable, remember that their goal is the same as the wireless carriers out there: profits.

Posted by Eric Bruno at 06:36 AM  Permalink