from the every-move-you-make;-every-call-you-take;-we'll-be-watching-you dept.
Google is reportedly laying plans to enter the wireless phone service business, in competition with Verizon and AT&T and in co-opetition with T-Mobile and Sprint. In late January, The Information broke the news that the company had reached agreements with T-Mobile and Sprint (paywalled, but a secondary report is here) enabling Google to use their cellular networks. When placing a call, Google's handset would choose between the two carrier networks, or Wi-Fi, depending on the caller's location and relative signal strength of the alternatives.
This is not a new idea; mobile operators such as FreedomPop and Republic Wireless have created successful businesses selling Wi-Fi phone service while relying on cellular networks as a backup for locations with poor Wi-Fi signals. As the Washington Post's Brian Fung points out, though, Google brings formidable additional leverage to the table: they can compete while making little or no profit on phone service, because their main business involves providing access to data, and analyzing usage of it. Google has a brand name and huge financial resources. They control the Android operating system. And Google has laid fiber across several US cities, with more to come, for the purpose of offering Internet, TV, and phone services directly to consumers.
In an earnings call, Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo dismissed Google's projected entrance as not a big deal — Google would be yet another mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or reseller of services from the major carriers:
"Resellers, or people leasing the network from carriers, have been around for 15 years," Shammo told Verizon investors. "It's a complex issue. You have to deal directly with the consumer. There is a whole infrastructure that is needed to do that."
Related Stories
Noting that today's major providers lack any hint of competitive activity, the headline at El Reg reads Google reveals where AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable Will Next Offer Gbps Broadband
The advertising giant said on Tuesday it will next roll out high-speed connections to 18 cities in and around Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Raleigh-Durham, NC; and Nashville, TN.
[...]The expansion will bring the total number of areas with Google Fiber deployments to seven: the California biz already offers fiber broadband in and around Kansas City, MO; Austin, TX; and Provo, UT.
[...]Google charges $70 a month for gigabit internet, $120 if you want TV with it, or free if you're happy with 5Mbit/s for the downlink. Only the freebie option requires a $300 installation fee. Despite the price tag, the service is hotly anticipated in the few chosen cities.
[...]Later this year, the Chocolate Factory will also make its decision on where the next set of Fiber rollouts will take place. Five areas are being considered: Portland, OR; San Jose, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; and San Antonio, TX.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday February 08 2015, @10:00AM
Mine stops working when anyone in the entire neighborhood is using their microwave oven.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday February 08 2015, @10:04AM
I don't want my data usage to be analyzed.
Does anyone ever consider the effect of all this analytics work on the mentally ill?
And yes paranoia is one of my more-predominant symptoms. At least I know I'm crazy; many of the mentally ill do not.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @10:30AM
Does anyone ever consider the effect of all this analytics work on the mentally ill?
I don't know, but I'm going to be filing my taxes this week--ask me after TurboTax tells me someone else has already filed for me, using stolen credentials.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday February 08 2015, @11:36AM
First I can't get a checking account, and I've made a smoking crater of my credit, so I figure my SSN isn't a whole lot of good to me.
Second, I figure the Feds ought to figure out a better system, say one in which my social security number can't be tied to banking or credit, and that will include a CRC.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @01:08PM
What level of responsibility does Soylent have for self-harming actions by mentally ill members?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @03:23PM
roughly 0?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @03:38PM
That's the answer of someone who does not believe in community.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @07:44PM
1. What do you mean by "Soylent"? The community or the admins?
2. Crawford says he's mentally ill, but how do you know it's not performance art? Have you looked up the SSN?
3. What makes you qualified to diagnose and deliver mental health care over the net?
4. What actions could be taken? Post blocking aka censorship? Reply to every single post you find troubling with links to mental health resources?
5. Crawford claims that sharing his SSN is not unsafe due to uncreditworthiness. The action could be considered a protest against SSN's unintended status as a secret ID number. Do you disagree?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @11:17PM
> 1. What do you mean by "Soylent"? The community or the admins?
Both.
> 2. Crawford says he's mentally ill, but how do you know it's not performance art? Have you looked up the SSN?
Doesn't matter if it is performance art or not, the harm is in the disclosure. For all we know it could be someone impersonating him.
> 3. What makes you qualified to diagnose and deliver mental health care over the net?
Don't be that asshole.
> 4. What actions could be taken?
Dunno, that's why I asked.
> 5. Crawford claims that sharing his SSN is not unsafe due to uncreditworthiness. The action could be considered a protest against SSN's unintended status as a secret ID number. Do you disagree?
I do disagree. SSNs are used and abused for more things than just credit fraud. There is employment fraud and healthcare fraud, just for starters.
And so now my question to you is why are you asking? Seems like nothing more than a passive-aggressive attempt to argue for non-action.
(Score: 5, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @10:12AM
It's Google! They're awesome!
First, look in the mirror and say this three times: "Don't be evil" "Don't be evil" "Don't be evil."
Next (using Google Chrome), head on over to Google+, get an account, get your gmail working, watch some Google TV, say a prayer to Brin for Google broadband to your city, sign up for the beta program on this phone (maybe they'll use Select Invites!), and start marshalling all your personal data so you can store it on Google Drive. (Plaintext please--that's easier to crawl).
(Score: 3, Touché) by maxwell demon on Sunday February 08 2015, @11:23AM
YAWN = Yet Another Wireless Network?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by c0lo on Sunday February 08 2015, @11:58AM
Imagine a city with Google fiber in which each router doubles as a mobile cell [wikipedia.org] and Google gives the everybody a free mobile.
Will it still be yawn or will it be closer to a gasp?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Sunday February 08 2015, @12:55PM
Hint: Look at the title of the story. And then re-read my post.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday February 08 2015, @08:34PM
(sure, I forgot to open my post with "Agree").
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday February 08 2015, @12:53PM
You have to deal directly with the consumer. There is a whole infrastructure that is needed to do that."
Google doesn't do customer support, but they are popular anyway.
It'll be interesting to watch that business model enter cell phone service. I suspect it'll work pretty well, like the other zillion times google entered a marketplace without providing script readers in the Philippines.
Since the 90s I have never talked to anyone in customer support (only sales) for US Cellular, then Verizon, then Virgin Mobile (a MVNO, Sprint I think?) and since the first beta offering, Republic Wireless (a MVNO, also Sprint?).
Maybe the guy has a clue, at least partially, and he's seriously claiming Google can't spin up yet another web based bug tracker for this new product. Yeah, I'm sure that'll be a huge hurdle for them, LOL.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @01:17PM
It isn't like Verizon has a reputation for great or even competent customer support. Sure, they tend to be rated at the top for cell companies but that's like being the tallest midget in the room.
I bet google makes this service free except for your privacy, ala google-voice. That will be good enough for ~90% of customers which could knee-cap Verizon and their oligopoly buddies.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @10:06PM
Uh, customer support IS sales for these people.
Seriously. Same number. Same commission based pay scale.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Sunday February 08 2015, @04:17PM
I would much rather see telecoms disrupted by open source projects than simply replaced by another big player like Google. I have gotten such a bad taste in my mouth for all systems of centralized control.
I am glad somebody is taking on the fat, lazy, arrogant companies like Verizon, but it's a little like rooting for Godzilla against Mothra. You hope Godzilla wins but you know he's going to turn right around and step on you anyway.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Sunday February 08 2015, @08:03PM
I am glad somebody is taking on the fat, lazy, arrogant companies like Verizon, but it's a little like rooting for Godzilla against Mothra.
They summoned Mothra to save them from Godzilla! Why would they be rooting for Godzilla?
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 08 2015, @09:37PM
lol
Mothra had the twin hottie faeries too. They were only about 5 inches tall, but still...
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Magic Oddball on Monday February 09 2015, @06:10AM
I would much rather see telecoms disrupted by open source projects than simply replaced by another big player like Google. I have gotten such a bad taste in my mouth for all systems of centralized control.
I think that might have worked if it was started 50+ years ago, when the first computer networks were being set up by governments & universities in the belief that it would have a great impact on science and humanity. Once the hardware was in place in protected locations, there was enough momentum to keep the project going, and by then enough people were learning how to use/maintain the code while learning other things that it was safe.
These days, we can take a look at the state of open-source software to get an idea how it would work. We'd have a bunch of semi-compatible networks in varying degrees of maintenance, a quarter or so of which would have corporate backing and be quietly directing "monetizing" it. Depending on the network, whenever a user filed a bug or requested an important promised-but-missing feature, the response would typically be either, "wontfix," "let us know when you're done," or possibly "if you don't like the way we do things, go use [corporate version]!"
I'm a longtime OSS & Linux user, FWIW; I just can see the downsides for non-technical or semi-technical users right along with the benefits.
I am glad somebody is taking on the fat, lazy, arrogant companies like Verizon.
Ting has been for a couple of years now — it was founded for expressly that purpose [ting.com]. They're just not a corporate giant, so they don't get the media attention Google does; so far they also don't show any inclination to step on us.