The tech boom has quickly become a monster as companies continue to outdo one another with impressive innovations. From unveiling its own version of Project Titan (solar-powered drones) to rethinking how office spaces work, Google has just announced it wants to be your future wireless carrier.
After fielding rumors for 365 days, Google confirmed on Monday that it would be offering talk and data plans to customers around the globe. The announcement took place at Mobile World Congress. Google announced it is working on a wireless service in regions where Google Fiber Internet and TV services are available “on a small scale.”
Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior VP, oversees Google, Chrome and Android apps. During a chat, he said Google will become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which means it can buy “wholesale access” from companies such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint, and then sell cellular plans to its own customers. The experiment will be similar to the experience many felt when Google unveiled the first Nexus phone.
That success, plus its growing hodgepodge of innovations meant to reshape the world, means Google appears to be taking the right steps in growing its brand.
Flashback to 2012, when Google announced it would be entering into the market of high-paced, lightning-fast Internet speed. The company said its connection rate would be “100 times faster than usual”, and residents in Kansas City would be the first to witness the power of Google Fiber. Since successfully showcasing such connection speeds, the Google Fiber initiative has expanded to cities like Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, and shows no signs of slowing down.
By becoming a MVNO, Google isn’t completely taking the tech world by surprise. Considering the company already serves as the de facto place for all things search engine and Android, Google is only right in wanting to keep all of our mobile communication within its ecosystem. The question is how will its other initiatives fit into the company's overall plans of becoming mankind’s number one wireless carrier.
Photo: Gisela Giardino | Flickr
