Verizon Wireless is surprisingly embracing open networks. The nation's second largest cell phone carrier said today that customers will have the option of connecting hardware and software not sold by the company to its network. Verizon Wireless said the initiative will be available nationwide by the end of next year. Large carriers have traditionally resisted the notion of open networks by requiring customers to use phones and software sold only by the company. "This is a transformation point in the 20-year history of mass-market wireless devices—one which we believe will set the table for the next level of innovation and growth," Verizon Wireless President and CEO Lowell McAdam said in a statement.
Early next year, Verizon Wireless plans to publish the technical standards for developers who wish to design products to connect to the company's network. According to company officials, any device or software that meets Verizon Wireless' technical standards will be activated on the network. After the company publishes the standards, Verizon Wireless will host a conference to explain the standards and seek input from the developer community.
View: Full Story on eWeek
5 Comments - Add comment