Verizon Wireless to open Network

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/verizon-wireless-open-up-network/story.aspx?guid={E879FB44-3D42-48FD-8B6B-DD6FEADB4FBD}&dist=hplatest

in summary, by the end of 2008, verizon will be opening up its wireless network for other phones and software to be used on there network. Currently sprint/nextel uses the same network as verizon, so in theory, if you were a sprint customer with a sprint phone you could switch to verizon without having to buy a new phone. IMO, this is great news that the industry is finally starting to open up and allow customer greater choice.

even though it was bound to happen, i'm still surprised it happened so soon

soon you'll just buy a phone and then decide which network to use based on price and feature availability

won't that just make way too much sense?

i already have VZN though so it doesn't affect me directly

Yeah, now they just need to unlock the GPS in the BB pearl

This is nice and all, but should I take it as a sign that Verizon was doing poorly in comparison to other wireless companies? This is move that's great for consumers, so the cynic in me can't help but see it as a way to gain a large number of consumers quickly.

ahh shit I am clear for a upgrade in June of next year but could push it to August or October (that's when the best phones come out). So far I have had no real big problems with my 8300, but my last one the audiovox 9900 I was so happy to get rid of that POS.

well it isn't so much as verizon was doing poorly. There network is arguably one of the best. I would imagine it would have more to do with having to pay to lock up phone exclusive to be on there network. For example the iphone. Allegedly apple wanted 20% of the monthly service fee, the full sale of the phone, and all customer service calls to be routed to them. Apple was in talks long before they went to at&t. They couldn't come to terms, and apple went elsewhere. I would imagine that verizon lost some customers to get an iphone. At the announcement, it was assumed that verizon would lose 1 mill customers to at&t due to the iphone exclusive. There is no numbers on how many customers they have lost, but I would imagine it was a few.

If they open the network, then the customer would decide who to go with based off of the network not the phones offered by a given provider. Verizon most likely feels they have a great network and fee structure. While currently they won't be compatible with at&t and tmobile due to different network setups, they are compatible with sprint/nextel phones. Currently sprint has lost about 1mill customers this year, and if verizon allows sprint customers to keep there phone I would imagine they assume they could get a large portion of those fleeing sprint. In the end, if all providers have 1 basic network setup, then the cost of the services should drop as there would be no reason besides network availablity and fee's to determine which provider to deal with.

A lot of this has to do with google and there announced open network for phones and other devices. Allegedly that is going to be free and many providers of a variety of products are scared shitless about it. Also there is a huge bandwidth package to be sold by the fcc shortly. Gaining a large amount of customers in a short time period will increase cash thus enabling them to bid more or have a greater desire to own that bandwidth. Not only will they greatly increase there network with that bandwidth, it could keep google out of market. It has been assumed google is going to buy it.

[quote name='ryanbph']well it isn't so much as verizon was doing poorly. There network is arguably one of the best. I would imagine it would have more to do with having to pay to lock up phone exclusive to be on there network. For example the iphone. Allegedly apple wanted 20% of the monthly service fee, the full sale of the phone, and all customer service calls to be routed to them. Apple was in talks long before they went to at&t. They couldn't come to terms, and apple went elsewhere. I would imagine that verizon lost some customers to get an iphone. At the announcement, it was assumed that verizon would lose 1 mill customers to at&t due to the iphone exclusive. There is no numbers on how many customers they have lost, but I would imagine it was a few.

If they open the network, then the customer would decide who to go with based off of the network not the phones offered by a given provider. Verizon most likely feels they have a great network and fee structure. While currently they won't be compatible with at&t and tmobile due to different network setups, they are compatible with sprint/nextel phones. Currently sprint has lost about 1mill customers this year, and if verizon allows sprint customers to keep there phone I would imagine they assume they could get a large portion of those fleeing sprint. In the end, if all providers have 1 basic network setup, then the cost of the services should drop as there would be no reason besides network availablity and fee's to determine which provider to deal with.

A lot of this has to do with google and there announced open network for phones and other devices. Allegedly that is going to be free and many providers of a variety of products are scared shitless about it. Also there is a huge bandwidth package to be sold by the fcc shortly. Gaining a large amount of customers in a short time period will increase cash thus enabling them to bid more or have a greater desire to own that bandwidth. Not only will they greatly increase there network with that bandwidth, it could keep google out of market. It has been assumed google is going to buy it.[/quote]

Ah.. that'd do it. Thanks, man. Like I said, I really didn't know, so I was curious. Much appreciated.

Heard about this, am wondering what they are going to do about buying other phones now which were not build for verizon. I am also interested to see how they change there plans, hopefully nothing to drastic.

I don't think that this is a sign of Verizons weakness but more of a show of power. They are broadening their userbase drastically. I'm already using Verizon so it won't affect me.

Now if we can sync up some J-phones with ease to the VZW network... that would be badass.

[quote name='carthitup']This is nice and all, but should I take it as a sign that Verizon was doing poorly in comparison to other wireless companies? This is move that's great for consumers, so the cynic in me can't help but see it as a way to gain a large number of consumers quickly.[/quote]Verizon is easily the all-around most popular network, and for good reason. Their success does not have anything to do with this, in the way you are thinking. Rather, their forward thinking is what has gotten them on top and kept them there. As others already stated, this was bound to happen sooner or later. But as with other industries, if you can't change directions with the times, then you end up going over the waterfall to your doom. And it is always better to be the one forging the way than the one playing catch up. Often the ones playing catch up find it to be too little, too late.

I know I would happily buy an iPhone or an Ocean and hop on the Verizon network if all the features were available to me. (And from what ryan said, I might just be able to use the Ocean on their network since I think Helio leases their access from Sprint.)

Interesting. Like I said, it was the cynical consumer in me that assumed they were doing it because they *had* to, not because they *could*.

I admit, as well, that many people I know have Verizon as their carrier, and are unhappy with it. Sometimes they have trouble getting a signal, and the phones (through no fault of Verizon's, I admit) seem fairly shoddy. Then, my friends may just be cheap. :lol: They also cite poor customer service. Then again, I always hear people complain about AT&T, yet I've never had a problem with them. It's all a crapshoot I guess. So, personal expierience also played a part in my original thinking. Nice to be wrong sometimes, though.

All I know is that my contract is going to be up in a few months, so this news certainly changes my stance from 'definitely staying with AT&T' to 'looking into Verizon'.