Google already produces the mobile operating system that runs on majority of all smartphones in the world. And now the company may be thinking of venturing into voice calls, mobile data, and other wireless services too.
As reported by The Information, one of the world's biggest tech companies is preparing to sell wireless plans that will run cellular networks owned by T-Mobile and Sprint. The project is said to be codenamed "Nova" and will see Google paying these two major wireless carriers for access into their respective networks. According to The Information, the project is headed by Nick Fox and may be launched sometime this year.
Google started out as a search engine company, and then went on to conquer much of the Internet. In the last decade, the tech giant has been forging partnerships with several smartphone makers and telecoms entities, so stepping into the world of mobile services is not that much of a surprise.
But it is not that simple though. Google created the Android platform, which basically is the most popular mobile operating system in the world (with over 80 percent of all smartphones running on the OS). But wireless carriers sometimes act as the front-runners in getting people to buy a wireless handset. Google is aiming to alter that, or at least, become a more active participant in exploring new ways to offer wireless services to consumers.
Google's history with the wireless world has been interesting, to say the least. Back in 2008, Google took part in the 700 MHz spectrum auction, bidding against Verizon. Of course, Verizon won the bid and eventually built its LTE networks out of those airwaves. Google admitted then that winning was not the aim -- it just wanted the winning bid to go over a specific price level to make sure that the airwaves would be open to any handset or application. Needless to say, Google's plan worked.
What about now? Is this another one of Google's sneaky ploys? It may be too early to tell if the tech giant has another agenda behind this latest development.
Or it could be possible that Google is dead serious about this. But then, why not? It is not like Google has not done some crazy stuff before. Besides, the company has never shied away from trying out new things, even those that may not be right up its alley at first glance.
But if Google can pull this off, it just may shake up things in the wireless industry. Nobody knows for sure yet how exactly, but it certainly will be a major talking point.
