Details continue to emerge about Google Nova, the company’s project to enter the wireless carrier fray as an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) in the U.S. Following a report that a deal with Sprint was already signed comes word that Google’s service will be able to switch between carrier signals and use the best one to route calls, texts and data.
Citing “people familiar with the plan,” Google Nova would use a new technology that would monitor cellular connections provided by Sprint, T-Mobile as well as Wi-Fi hotspots and automatically switch to the one offering the strongest signal.
Whereas a previous report only indicated that Google had a deal with Sprint, The Wall Street Journal reports that deals are in place with both Sprint and T-Mobile.
Google’s plan is not necessarily to enter the market and undercut competitors on price but to provide “the best and fastest wireless connection without users having to worry about a long-term relationship with a carrier.” The move could eventually lead to service that automatically switches between carriers not only based on signal quality but also on price. This in turn could lead to bidding wars as consumers ditch their plans for usage-based billing plans that are not tied to a single carrier.
Google will need to tread carefully as it relies on these same carriers to offer a range of Android-powered smartphones to consumers. Android accounts for over half of smartphones in use in the U.S. and Google is unlikely to do anything that might jeopardize this.
Google Nova could launch as early as sometime in the first half of 2015 but the report warns that the launch could slip. Several previously scheduled launches have not been met and another delay is not implausible.
Source : The Wall Street Journal