[Cialug] Implications of Verizon's Open Network

[Nathan Stien]

On Nov 27, 2007 3:35 PM, Jim Cole <jrcole at gmail.com> wrote:
> A number of readers are letting us know about Verizon's plans, announced
> today, to open their nationwide wireless network to devices that they don't
> sell. A NYTimes blog posting puts VZW's announcement in industry context.
> From the press release: "In early 2008, the company will publish the
> technical standards the development community will need to design products
> to interface with the Verizon Wireless network. Any device that meets the
> minimum technical standard will be activated on the network. Devices will be
> tested and approved in a $20 million state-of-the-art testing lab which
> received an additional investment this year to gear up for the anticipated
> new demand. Any application the customer chooses will be allowed on these
> devices."

This does indeed seem pretty sweet.

It opens up three new sources of phones:

1. Unlocked phones from other networks.  But Verizon is CDMA, alas.
So that leaves us with Sprint, I think.  I welcome a correction from
someone more informed.
2. Foreign countries.  What does that give us?  I believe most of the
world is GSM, but I think there's some CDMA in China, Japan, and
coming soon... Iraq.  Anyone on the list know more about this?  eBay
might be a friend here.  (Buy them while people out there are still
taking dollars...)
3. Home-made or custom phones!

It would be dang nifty to have a custom-made phone.  VZW is claiming
they'll allow a breadboarded prototype on the network as long as it
interfaces correctly.  There have got to be at least some Make
Magazine type people out there who are going to make the geeked-out
linux phones of our dreams.  Maybe someone could adapt the OpenMoko
phone to support CDMA (and generally make it look less crappy).  I
will be watching that with great interest.

I would think the expanded market for phones will also likely push the
subsidized phones from VZW to offer less restricted feature sets as
well.

- Nathan