Verizon Wireless to ‘Open Up’ Cell Phone Networks in Coming Year

6:05 am on November 28, 2007 | Category: Business, Regulation, Telecom Services, Wireless

cellular.jpg

Verizon Wireless subscribers will be able to use handsets and mobile applications from other companies by the end of next year, the #2 U.S. cell phone carriers announced on Tuesday in a major reversal of business strategy.

“This is a transformation point in the 20-year history of mass-market wireless devices,” Verizon Wireless CEO, Lowell McAdam said of the company’s new “any apps, any device” policy.

The wireless giant also announced plans to publish technical standards early next year, which will allow third-party developers to create hardware and software applications for use with Verizon networks.

Lawmakers, regulators, and consumer groups have increasingly been calling for open wireless networks in recent years, arguing that the “walled garden” approach used by many carriers stifles innovation. The Federal Communications Commission has even gone so far as to require that a portion of the airwaves purchased at next year’s wireless spectrum auction must be opened up to work with any compatible device.

FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin, welcomed Verizon’s latest announcement, saying that “more openness — at the network, device, and application level — helps foster innovation and enhances consumers’ freedom and choice in purchasing wireless service.”

Related Articles:

    None Found

    1 Comment »

    RSS feed for comments on this post.

    1. Does anyone know if they are going to open up the 3gcdma network. If so what is the process for openning up my sanyo 3200 phone.. Thanks Rich

      Comment by Rich — December 26, 2007 #

    Leave a comment

    XHTML: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>


    Published by TeleClick Enterprises
    Edited by Jeremy Maddock