Google's Sundar Pichai dropped something of a bombshell today at Mobile World Congresss 2015: Google is working on some sort of limited wireless operating status — becoming a cellular service provider of some manner.
[custom:mwc15]The idea is to show what's possible, Pichai said during his session at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Basically Google is exploring how to integrate Wifi and cellular service, he said, giving an example of eliminating dropped calls. But Pichai said we shouldn't expect any sort of Google MVNO service to be at scale, or to directly compete with the likes of Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. Instead, he hopes the operators would adopt what Google's working on.
Pichai said the service will be announced in the coming months. (Google I/O 2015 is scheduled for the last week of May, but the announcement certainly could come outside the annual developer event.)
Reader comments
Google's Sundar Pichai confirms MVNO is happening
Your headline is more than a little misleading. It seems to me he pretty much said Gogole is NOT going to become an MVNO, but is developing technology they hope the existing carriers adopt.
What if they made a deal with Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile and sprint and were somehow able to jump from tower and technology seamlessly.
Why not. Users with a device that is always connected can view ads and buy stuff from Play at any time and anywhere. Greater, more persistent/consistent connectivity is always in Google's interests.
This is quite unlikely to be a service that has general availability. It's a technology test bed for Google to try out some ideas.
Great idea but hopefully they keep that momentum, like say integrating their already great services with their MVNO, like Google Voice numbers and voicemail
I'd love to see Google make their first foray into this field by buying Republic Wireless. They already have a close relationship, and I feel like Republic's growth rate is plateauing.
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Google wouldn't buy service from an mvno like republic wireless. ......that's not how it works. They would buy from the big 4, but I'm gonna say it will be with a gsm carrier, like att or tmobile, probably tmobile. Verizon and sprint cdma is old....gsm is universal
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Where's the sign-up URL?
Interested to see which devices will be offered. I hear of a new Nexus 7, and now an 8.
usa has no national coms network.
google are wide open to being cut kff from the data they need.
google have vast coffers full of cash, they need to protect their main business, they also need to find other sources of revenue.
i have pointed out months ago thst g are going to slowly roll out local networks while at same time working on big national optic backbone for backhaul and non local traffic.
for me it must be GSM with no proxy, consistent high speed, and great map coverage. hence - AT&T or nothing.
Nexus 5 + AT&T GoPhone
You realize you could go to Cricket(ATT MVNO) and save a lot more per month?
we've been through this before here. i don't like proxy servers, throttling, unreliable SMS/MMS, non-existent customer service, and low tower priority. i like value but i'm not cheap. i don't mind paying a few bucks more for quality and to be treated like a first class citizen.
@aosprevails......Cricket is not an mvno.....they are wholly owned and operated by att
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It's obviously location dependent, but T-Mobile, where I am in Bay Area, provides excellent competition to the ATT coverage IMO. I may just be lucky in that regard, though.
i like to have confidence that no matter where i travel i will have good coverage.
Maybe this is a good place to move the nexus line to
This makes sense, fits with rumors and speculation, and will be really interesting to see. I'd be perfectly content switching to service like this... Though I'd really like to see adoption of Dual-SIM LTE devices in the states, as much as the carriers might hate it. The Lumia 640 is pulling it off, somehow, though. Can you imagine having Verizon voice service coverage and T-Mobile unlimited data? That'd be so ironic... Expensive if you're not using MVNOs, too, but hey.
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Can my oneplus make calls over wifi or VoLTE?
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With Google Voice, definitely.
They really need to leave wifi alone. The 2.4ghz network is so crowded at my apartment as is. I counted 45 networks that my phone could see.
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try 5G.
Where do you buy a 5ghz Chromecast?
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Nexus Player
Sorry to be an ass, but come on, they are not the same thing.
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i use an android box with xposedcast but google made it more difficult with new updates. so i use allcast and airreceiver on it.
They both run the same Cast protocol. One just happens to have better hardware. Why is that not good enough for you?
I have 2 Chromecast and they were free and $25. I don't want to pay $200 for 2 nexus players. Is it that hard to understand?
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What about Sprint?
I wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup
AC skipped mentioning Sprint due to them not being in the same ballpark as AT&T,Verizon, and T-Mobile. ;)
Posted from my HTC One M8 via Android Central App
+1
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Was just gonna say LOL he left out Sprint.
even when they were at #4 people still talked about T-Mobile
Aren't they already working with Sprint?
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Google-inks-deal-to-be-Sprint-MVNO_id65195
I just how it's available in Houston Texas.
Rooted LG G2.
Rooted GS3, Stock Galaxy Note 4
If it ain't Tech, it ain't Right!