Could Google Phone Mark End of Network Domination

He sorta mentions the network infrastructure issue, but not completely. What it really comes down to is that ATT, T-Mobile, maybe few other are using GSM (thus any unlocked gsm phone SHOULD work on their service), but Verizon, etc. are still using CDMA. To truly open the market, all providers would need to be on GSM so any phone could work with any provider (you know, how apparently the rest of the world does phone service...) Of course, this would instantly kill their whole marketing scheme of having the shiniest new Phone X tied to only them, unless they lock "unauthorized" phones from their services, which defeats the purpose of a common infrastructure and would probably make lots of people rather unhappy. As we all know, the US Telcos are very slow to change and really don't like competition.

Personally I'm using my nice Neo Freerunner on ATT's prepaid plan (I don't use my phone much) because they are only the available GSM provider here. I don't envy the international traveler that comes to the US and realizes how little choice they have with using their nice triband gsm phone here.

Another way that the phone hardware vendors could get rid of the telco's power of having phones tied to them is to build phones that do both GSM and CDMA. The telcos probably wouldn't like it, but whatever hardware vendor did it would be popular with consumers who are in the know. Sadly, that is probably a pretty small percentage.

Quoting:Another way that the phone hardware vendors could get rid of the telco's power of having phones tied to them is to build phones that do both GSM and CDMA.

If I understand correctly, CDMA equals 3G. But I have never seen a 3G phone that could not do GSM (though plenty of older phones only do GSM and not 3G).

Just found this:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-gsm-a...

Quoting:Both boast "3G" standards, or 3rd generation technologies.

I found it quite amusing that our local ATT shop at the mall had the signs up pushing the new iPhone 3G when it came out, considering we don't have a 3G network here. :P

> (thus any unlocked gsm phone SHOULD work on their service)

The key word there being should. A friend of mine recently bought an unlocked phone from NewEgg, it doesn't work with AT&T in our area, though it supposedly works fine 60 miles to the north. :(

Odd. The main issue I was worried about was if the SIM would work with my Freerunner, since some were known to not work. FYI, I didn't try to activate the service using my Freerunner. I went to RadioShack, got the cheap prepaid starter kit, let them set it up, activate it, etc., then when I left I pulled the SIM out of the kit phone and put it in my Freerunner. So as far as they know I'm using a little cheapo Motorola something or other (which I keep in my backpack in case I need a phone and have broken my Freerunner's phone abilities with some software update...lol).