sean’s place

Verizon to Open Network

According to c|net (and dozens of other news outlets), Verizon Wireless plans to open their network to third-party developers. While no concrete details have yet emerged, this announcement holds the potential for a sea change in the mobile communications industry.

Today, mobile carriers commission phone manufacturers to produce phones specifically for them. Sometimes, this results in specific hardware and software (e.g; the iPhone in the US). Other times, a manufacturer will alter the physical appearance of a given phone, change its model number, and stamp a custom firmware on it (e.g; Motorola v551/v330; the same phone in a different case with carrier-specific firmware). Sometimes, it’s just a carrier-branded firmware image (e.g; Blackberry and Treo). Hardware modifications for the same device between carriers is usually limited to the carrier’s logo and name imprinted, custom buttons, occasionally a different case. Firmware modifications can run the gamut from emblazoning the name, logo, and service marks on various screens (e.g; MEdia.net on AT&T) to wholesale user-interface changes (e.g; Verizon Wireless’s mandate that phones carry the same user interface regardless of manufacturer).

What Verizon Wireless said today suggests that all this might change; I certainly hope it does. I hope that Verizon Wireless’s announcement ushers in an era where the mobile phone is more of a commodity device, like a standard telephone. Recent years have brought about a disturbing trend in carrier-altered devices: features locked out¹, lock-in to the carrier’s online ringtone and media services, and ubiquitous use of subsidy locks².

It’s important to note that, with rare exception, phones do not need to be carrier-altered for network compatibility. At the time of this writing, there are two competing global standards for wireless communications for phones: CDMA and GSM. Verizon Wireless and Sprint operate CDMA networks in the US; AT&T and T-Mobile operate GSM networks. These are two fundamentally incompatible protocols (so, the iPhone, as is, won’t ever work on Verizon); but, a CDMA phone that operates on the right frequency bands will technically work on any other CDMA network. GSM phones, likewise, have the ability to accept a SIM card, which contains the network provisioning information (e.g; I can drop a T-Mobile SIM in my Cingular AT&T phone, and my phone will start operating on the T-Mobile network assuming the aforementioned SIM corresponded to an active line). The common bands in the US are 800/850MHz (cellular band) and 1900MHz (PCS band).

So, in this area, Verizon Wireless’s promise seems somewhat ironic.

One can hope for change, all the same.Whether or not Verizon Wireless’s announcement was caused by the iPhone, by Google Android, or means to differentiate from their competition, it seems like a step in the right direction. In addition to a suite of unique new phones, we might see some rather interesting new products. The first thought I had were radio modems for the electric, gas, and waste water meters on the outside of my home.

All this hope isn’t without a fair dose of realistic pause. I am worried that Verizon Wireless’s definition of “meets minimum standards” could be a bait-and-switch tactic. I am also worried that without the residual income from media lockin (MEdia.net, V.cast, etc.) and other services, Verizon Wireless would be less-inclined to continually improve their network for new features and services. After all, we still use analog phones at home.