Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Verizon Plans Wider Options for Cellphone Users

In a major shift for the mobile phone industry, Verizon
Wireless said yesterday that it planned to give customers far more
choice in what phones they could use on its network and how they use
them



While there are technical
limitations involved, the company’s move could lead to an
American wireless market that is more like those in Europe and Asia,
where a carrier’s customers can use any compatible phone to
easily reach a wide array of online services — and take their
phones with them when they switch companies. The move, which surprised
industry watchers because Verizon Wireless is known to be highly
protective of its traditional business, is part of a larger shift in
the communications world.

With the introduction of the iPhone from Apple, one of the first mainstream multimedia devices, and Google’s plan to make the software that runs cellphones, the industry is being pushed toward a more open approach.

Carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone,
have spent billions on cell towers and other infrastructure, and
traditionally they have tightly controlled what happens on their
networks

They decide what phones subscribers can use and then
steer them toward ring tones, television shows and other products they
can buy

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