Google reportedly looking to bring wireless phone service to Fiber cities
Google might not be anywhere near finished getting their fiber-optic network setup, but they’re already thinking about more services to offer now that they have the infrastructure to support it. One of those could be a wireless phone service, if details received by The Information are to be believed.
According to them, Google will look to launch as an MVNO — that is, a service provider who leases the equipment and spectrum of another company — for those currently in one of their few Fiber cities, which include Provo, UT, Kansas City, MO, and upcoming plans to bring the service to Austin, TX.
For what it’s worth, Google is also working on plans to bring Fiber to 9 other metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Charlotte, NC and more (though nothing has been guaranteed at this point).
So why would Fiber be important? The Mountain View company will reportedly look to use WiFi-offloading to have users make their calls over WiFi hotspots whenever possible, easing the strain on local communication airwaves. These hotspots will likely feed into the network powered by Fiber, so Google won’t have to rely on third-party installations that might be costly and unreliable.
Google will apparently look to Verizon to provide the goods, with sources citing Google ended early talks with Sprint after the Kansas City company was acquired by Japanese firm SoftBank. Whatever the case may be, it appears we’ll no longer be joking about Google ditching the major carriers of today to start their own network, but it’ll be a while yet before that dream is fully realized.
[via The Verge]