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Verizon Wireless to open network, just not all the way

The Network's announcement that it will allow alternate devices and services joins ripples of openness in the industry. Philip Berne surveys the waves ahead.

The Network - Open at last?

The news that Verizon Wireless will open its network--to some extent--and allow devices and services previously unseen on the largest CDMA network was huge news for the wireless industry. It’s been a long time coming; we always complain in our reviews of Verizon Wireless V Cast phones, (most recently with the LG Venus) that the carrier has too much of a stranglehold on the manufacturers. Not just with hardware, but especially when it comes to their phones' interface and menu design. The decision to open its network may, in retrospect, be an obvious decision, especially in today's climate. Beyond Google's Android platform, Apple managed to pry open AT&T's shell just a bit, but the real drive to open the network may simply be innovation, or the The Network’s lack thereof thus far. As consumers are more educated and interested in their cell phone choices, looking for specific devices by name and brand instead of by pricing and carrier, Verizon has found a nice way to compete without having to do much legwork and backroom negotiation, like the gymnastics AT&T is rumored to have performed to procure iPhone exclusivity.

Getting off the train

So Verizon Wireless is opening their network, and Sprint has already announced that they will allow their phones to be unlocked for use on other carriers. This leaves us with some interesting questions. First of all, what will keep the manufacturers tied to the carriers? Sure, there are plenty of incentives for a company like HTC to offer carrier-branded devices on the major networks. The small company doesn't have the marketing muscle to sustain its own assault on the U.S. market just yet. But what about LG? Clearly, with all the work LG has put into refitting the square peg Verizon interface into their round hole phones, they must be chomping at the bit to make use of all their CDMA know-how and create something really interesting. Couple this with rumors we've heard that LG--and other manufacturers--are paying high premiums to keep their own brand on their marquee phones, like the LG Chocolate, and the manufacturer's relationship with the carriers looks strained at best. We don't think the manufacturers will drop their bread-and-butter low-end handset customers, those to whom the standardized Verizon Wireless walled garden caters the most. But, when the next version of the LG Voyager hits the streets, will it be free of Verizon's interface constraints? We're not sure, but that's definitely a phone we'd like to see.

Services

When the next Voyager arrives, will it have V Cast Mobile TV? A full Internet browser? How about something we haven't seen yet on the U.S. networks, full video-conference calling? How far is Verizon Wireless willing to go in allowing new services on its network. We're betting that download services will be pretty safe, so expect to see a variety of new over-the-air music stores opening soon. Video services should also be okay, presuming they don't use more bandwidth than something like a Slingbox. Access to the Mobile TV service will probably be easiest to parcel out, since it relies on a completely different network system and shouldn't sap the bandwidth from the main network pipe. But video-conferencing? We doubt it. AT&T has shied away from two-way video so far, presumably because they don't see the demand, especially considering the dearth of capable phones on the market.

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