About time one of the carriers admitted that they're just a "dumb pipe" company. 0 value add.

Noobs-R-Us

@Y2KGTP: As authoritative as that five-year plan sounds coming from the mighty USA Today, Apple's Greg Joswiak told me personally that Apple has never confirmed such a deal.

Wilson Rothman

@ryetronics:

Yeap....5 year deal

[www.usatoday.com]

Y2KGTP

It's about time. Back when wireless data services (1X-RTT and earlier) were being defined, it was clear to us developers that the wireless carriers needed to become ISPs, in effect. We kept telling them that what customers wanted from them was a "bit pipe" to connect to the internet. Verizon clearly chose the "AOL/Compuserve" ISP model, where the ISP provides the software and all the content. One has only to look at AOL today to realize how dead that model is. The nails are set in the coffin lid, waiting only to be hammered home. And finally, finally, Verizon is realizing they're suffering from the same ailment.

At least, that's what it looks like to me. It might just be the 700 MHz auction thing mentioned above.

wwalkersd

Isn't the CDMA iphone argument a little ridiculous? AT&T signed a, what, 5 year exclusivity deal with Apple? Get over it people. You'll have to move to AT&T to get the iphone, or wait another 4 years when something better will be out.

ryetronics

"We have so many questions-Why is Verizon doing this now?"

Easy answer: upcoming FCC auction for 700 MHz beachfront spectrum.

I've heard that Google has employed some game theorists, and I'm sure Verizon is doing the same thing. This recent maneuvering is part of an ongoing chess match being played out to influence the nature and outcome of this game-changing broadband auction.

frigg

Not sure why everyone is surprised about the EVDO network allowing use as a modem. It's been out for over a year. As SMARTTART62 said, all you need is a USB cable and add the tethering feature. Obviously runs off the phone signal, so anywhere you have signal you can connect your laptop to the internet.

Also, they don't cap you at 5MB, I've got 20MB of data.

bueller929

...I don't see how this is an improvement, especially with that "testing" bit. Customers with their cool Korean phones probably still won't be able to activate them on the network because Verizon will find some way tp prevent or drag out testing of those phones.

jamar0303

And now I'm praying even harder for Helio to go under.

pete

SHORTCUT MENU

satan gave me a taco

I fail to see what is so starling so far. They never allowed you to load apps on VZ phones, they did not join Google with the Android project, they limit bandwidth and recently had to compensate users millions to pay them back for cutting them off due to bandwidth usage when they told them it was unlimited when it clearly was not.

With all the customers they are losing to the iPhone and soon Google this is no real surprise that they put out the PR that basically says nothing that customers should have already had when they purchased a broadband connection on their sell network. Actions speak louder than words. Why wait until 2008? Why not now.

Sounds a lot like the HD announcement on FiOS TV, were they promise more HD content next year, while their competitors are killing them with HD content now. Seems they make these annoucements to try to keep customers that are looking to bolt!

digiprod

@JRo: That and the 2 year mutual exclusivity deal with AT&T.

Joseph

@pete: Now those would be more reasonable then everyone asking about the iphone.

Sprint has already said that they'll unlock their phones so I'd imagine that any sprint phone can be made to work when this is all said an done.

The ocean would probably depend on helio but I imagine when they realize that they'll be able to start selling their devices at a premium to take advantage of this that too would just be a matter of time.

tande

I hope this means Verizon is joining the OHA...The OHA website says they will be deploying handsets running Android by the second half of 08 as well

CDMA HTC/gPhone????

TheKidMillz

Just a thought: Does Apple have an agreement with AT&T for the iphone solely, or for ANY cell phone it may produce in the future? Cause if it's only for the iphone...

image18301

iphone????

ImTheKing

Hello - can I get a Helio Ocean activated on Verizon now?
How about a Sprint HTC Touch?

Need to clarify these points...

pete

I don't understand how them having to test the phones first is a catch. That seems entirely normal. Now, if they take 1.5 years to test each phone, then I would agree.

eleazar

@SwatLax: Its a nice phone too. I just bought 4 of them. One downside to the Centro vs. the Treo. Battery life.

Razta

iPhone??????

Noobs-R-Us

Currently every phone manufacturer save Apple has a device on Verizon's network. The bit about opening up their pipeline to any device seems a bit more style than substance. As for the any app part... well it seems it's an approach that mirrors Apple's with the SDK and iPhone. Verizon will allow your app to run on thir network so long as they approve it. So really Verizon is opening up their sandbox for limited playing.

In the end I do applaud Verizon as this is at least the first step in modernizing the American telecom market.

RemmingtonShowdown

iphone??????

jared51182

If the big V actually did this, and allowed for EVDO modems. they could blow Wimax out of the water, so to speak. I could really use my laptop almost anywhere. I hate my phones browser. Mippin makes it better, but it is still crap, and I cant look at my home computer on my phone. I would love to be able to sit in the park and work, and get files off of my home computer.

nightsky

@bitbass: I think you're on the right track. Verizon spends a lot of effort testing devices and figuring out what features to cripple, just so they can sell phones at subsidized prices. By opening their network, they pass the burden of meeting their standards (and limitations) on to the device makers and can bring in customers with their own unsubsidized phones.

sumocat

Oh thank fucking god. Does this mean Verizon I can get yoru crippled crappy ass software off my phone and use the Slvr like every other carrier can?

Falconfire

@nightsky:
By connecting up a Verizon phone to your computer (via bluetooth or USB) and using Qualcomm software, you can change a small value that will allow tethering on your phone for free. However, by doing so you void your agreement with Verizon, and people have been caught using this method.

Back to the issue on hand, I'm really excited for this. If everything goes well then I'll finally be able to get some free apps for my cell (like Opera for example). I'd love for the iPhone to come to Verizon, but that's unlikely as was pointed out in prior comments.

smarttart62

@nightsky: Except for the fact that VZW purposely cripples the Blackberrys they sell (possibly so as to not eat into their sales of PC Card wireless cards) according to the Blackberry advertisements the Blackberrys can indeed work as BlueTooth to EVDO modems.

The 7130 supports DUN, maybe all we need to do is pay Verizon an additional fee for them to unlock that functionality?

Windhawk

I could care less about this new open network for new hardware Verizon is pitching what interests me in the above statement is their opening their network to software. Does this mean we'll be able to install 3rd party apps on our current phones?

MacBandit

Perhaps this is Vz acknowledging that it takes them a full year to get out last years Windows Mobile device. They've always been abysmally slow to release new phones that aren't gimicky.

Then again, it is Vz we're talking about here. I'm sure they'll find a way to make this very unattractive to anyone that would care.

bitbass

im pretty sure apple and at&t would both have to agree in order for verizon to be able to legally support them to begin with. which will never happen.

mwalker05

@nightsky:

It's not a hack it'a feature most phones have.

MacBandit

I just want the Centro to come to Verizon.

SwatLax

@pastrychef:

I could deal with that....it's just a cellphone..

Y2KGTP

Side thread here. I have seen some hack an EVDO phone to act as a laptop modem, esp the LG Chocolate. Has anyone here done this on the V network?

nightsky

I don't see Steve opening the iphone. I see this as VZW trying to be the first one in the industry in bed with google and the open handset alliance project. Their way of quickly trying to recover what they lost to the iphone...

bmoctta

Blachole is right. The only way that iPhone is going to work on VZW is if Apple decides to manufacture a CDMA version of the iPhone.

I guess the only other option would involve Verizon somehow leveraging off Vodaphone's GSM network, but I doubt they're switching their entire infrastructure at this point. We're talking billions of dollars for VZW to get that done.

JRo

Too bad they still cap their users to 5GB/month.

pastrychef

This could lead to developers opening the iPhone to operate on Verizon's network.

Can and will Verizon handle all "activations?"

That's the question I want to know.

yoshi

Now we just need to get EVDO into the iPhone.

Windhawk

How is the iPhone going to work on VZ when its a whole different network (GSM vs. CDMA)? Is VZ looking to build a CDMA/GSM network?

blachole

iphone????

sryidc

iphone???

fostina1

FINALLY>>>>FINALLY>>>>FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QAdam

[Vice President]
OMG!
We are loosing market share!

[President]
What do they want?!?

[Vice President]
Lower prices, better technology, and friendly customer service reps! Oh and they said something about an open network..

[President]
Open Network? That doesn't sound so bad lets do that one.

keepr

@RemmingtonShowdown: The world's largest handset maker, Nokia has no phones on Verizon's network -- they don't do CDMA.

Prolific Programmer

LMFAO!!! That picture with the "Can you hear me know?" is hysterical.

WTF-STFU

Verizon is sooooooooo afraid of Google.

ndnr

Silly kids. T-Mobile and AT&T had this feature a long time ago. Just get any GSM phone running on the same frequencies (or any quad-band phone) we use here, pop in your SIM CARD and you can hear your grandma over the phone.

As for the iPhone, I'm not sure how a GSM phone could run on a CDMA network.

ninjatales