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Uncategorized Friday, November 16th 2012 at 8:35 am

Google Wants to Launch Their Own Cellular Network, Compete With the Likes of AT&T

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Now that Google‘s Android operating system has been gobbling up market share left and right, it’s only natural that the search giant would set their eyes on an even bigger prize. There is already speculation circulating around that perhaps Google isn’t satisfied with just having a major stake in smartphone operating systems. As far as rumors go, this is a big one, but it’s not hard to believe that Google has been in talks to launch their own cellular network. If they can pull off Google Fiber, they can certainly pull building a cellular network.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google has supposedly been in talks with Dish Network to launch a cellular network to compete directly with AT&T and their kin. These are early deliberations, and could amount to nothing, but Dish has confirmed that they’re looking at using their spectrum to launch a new cellular network. Either this is a confluence of events, or Google’s definitely trying to cobble something together.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Google’s made a sudden splash into a different industry. Their Android operating system is everywhere, thanks in large part to Samsung, and they’re competing directly with ISPs thanks to Google Fiber. Adding traditional cellular networks to the list of their competitors doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.

(The Wall Street Journal via BGR, reddit, image via Mark Guim)

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  • FAIL

    This is fucking awesome.

  • Jack Bond

    Yes. This is the answer to my prayers!

  • josh w

    Actually, I find this incredibly hard to believe. They’re not going to get Sprint or AT&T or even T-Mobile’s towers for this. And they’re most likely not sitting on enough cash (even though they have a lot) to set up a system of nationwide towers. Towers be expensive, yo. Not to mention the licensing fees – though I seem to remember them purchasing a bunch of bandwidth a while back, so they may have access to that.

    I would believe that they’d start somewhere small like they did with Google Fiber and then branch out slowly. Or even a dozen smaller places, like Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Omaha, etc.

  • josh w

    Does Dish have towers or are these going to be satellite phones?

  • http://www.facebook.com/jackhsquires Jack Squires

    This surely only makes sense? Regardless of the implications of setting a business up like that, they are an internet giant with a phone OS under their belt and Fiber on the way out, it’s the last piece of the puzzle as people are using the internet on their phones more than ever these days. That’s a huge slice of business that a middle man is getting. Take my money Google :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Scott-Davies/588919256 Scott Davies

    Sounds like you want google to do other things for you, maybe technology that includes a vibrating motor that isn’t your phone.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Scott-Davies/588919256 Scott Davies

    That’s why it says they might partner with dish, look, they even made it bold for the lazy readers!

  • http://opinadorcompulsivo.blogspot.com Miquel Mayol i Tur

    I would expect more a quantum satellital communication system.
    recently at the Spanish Canarias island there was a succesful experiment in quantum communications with a Satelital alike distance.

    If we can have in a near future a quantum satelital internet in our pockets with an affordable price – Iridium is too expensive even for phone calls – all the terrestial communications will be a thing of the past.

  • http://italicizedmalice.com/ ItalicizedMalice

    no, this is fucking Skynet

  • Anonymous

    Google is also working on a fiberoptic internet that will make TV networks and cable operators as obsolete as newspapers.

  • gary a

    partnering with dish just brings the spectrum, (with DISH applying to use some of their SatTV spectrum for telecomms) not the towers, and setting up a national network from scratch isn’t easy as both google and dish have no expertise in this area (no towers, no support centres), but starting from scratch has it’s advantages (as you don’t need to have legacy support in place)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Franklin/1480960932 Josh Franklin

    all hail skynet in that case

  • legaltruth

    I think it would be better for them to start as a carrier similar to StraightTalk or Virgin Mobile. Where they develop a Sim Card and use the network of the established carriers at half the price or less. That way would be much cheaper and be seen as less of a threat to the established networks than establishing a partnership with Dish to go head to head with the current carriers. Their first attempt with Clearwire didn’t workout so well as far as I know. Using Motorola to build their own phone would likely not be the best move either, since it would be competing against the other phone manufacturers who use their OS.

    These new carriers are semi disruptive to the established networks and I believe will become the major companies in the next decade. They just need to advertise their price advantages more and emphasize that they use the same networks that the general public use already anyway. Google could take this same approach and possibly offer it for dirt cheap if not a free service. They make more money if more people are online and buying from their advertisers. They could also tie in the service to Google Voice, such that the person wouldn’t lose their phone number if they didn’t pay for the service. They would just lose the service.