Dropped calls that automatically reconnect could be coming your way thanks to Google. According to several news reports, a Google exec told attendees at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week that this capability might be part of the wireless offering the company plans to launch.
Google apparently was so happy with the impact its Google Fiber initiative had on the broadband industry that it is now planning a similar wireless initiative. The company exec reportedly confirmed rumors that Google was planning to enter the wireless market as a mobile virtual network operator. Some of its ideas might “come to fruit” within a few months, the exec said.
The Google exec said the company was interested in creating new wireless capabilities, not in becoming a large wireless operator. As with Google Fiber, the idea would be to spur innovation in the market.
Beyond Reconnecting Dropped Calls
Google already is an important player in the wireless market through its Android mobile device operating system. Additionally the company offers the Nexus line of wireless devices, including a tablet that doubles as a remote control for the video offering for Google Fiber customers.
With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Google focusing on Google Fiber markets –initially at least – for its wireless service offering. End users are very interested in services that would allow them to begin watching a program on a television screen in the home and then seamlessly shift to a mobile device – and that would seem like a logical capability for Google to pursue. I’m sure the company also would seek to take integration capabilities up a notch as well. I don’t have anything specific in mind, but if I were a betting person, I’d bet Google does. The company also already has showrooms and support staff in Google Fiber markets that could support its wireless service.
Wi-Fi and White Spaces?
The news about Google’s wireless plans comes at a time when Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly important to the wireless industry as a means of boosting capacity in high-traffic areas — and for some service providers, WiFi will be the primary or only means of communications. Some news reports say Wi-Fi will be part of Google’s plans and that, too, would seem to be a logical move.
It’s also worth noting that Google is one of the TV white spaces database administrators – and if the company is venturing into the mobile market, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see it experiment with capabilities that could be enabled by the high bandwidth that could be unleashed through the 802.11af standard for nomadic broadband service using TV white spaces spectrum.
I’d be interested to hear what readers think about this one. Perhaps we could offer Google a wish list of capabilities for it to work on for its wireless offering.
