Verizon Wireless made what some have considered a game-changing move last week, announcing it will support open access on its wireless networks for devices and applications it doesn’t offer its own customers. Although the terms and pricing of Verizon Wireless’s open access have yet to be revealed, the company may be inching toward another move in the direction of open access: support for Google’s Android mobile platform.
According to BusinessWeek, Verizone Wireless sees open access and Google’s Android platform as a way to expand its customer base with a particularly appealing group of users: ones it doesn’t have to support. Although Verizon Wireless plans to test and certify that particular devices work with its network, but customers will have to go to their handset makers or application providers if they have problems. Verizon will be able to pull in money from users riding its network, but won’t be responsible for making sure their devices and services actually work. “We’re planning on using Android,” McAdam told BusinessWeek. “Android is an enabler of what we do.”
Although Verizon Wireless has yet to officially sign on with the Open Handset Alliance, Verizon support for Android would certainly give the nascent mobile platform a more significant presence in the U.S. marketplace and force other network operators and handset developers to give it a much more serious look. On the other hand, critics point out that if Verizon were to open its network to Android and only offer bare-bones or sub-par support for Android-based devices and services, the move might relegate Android-based devices to a permanent second-rate status.
