Thursday, August 23, 2007

Google is the real WiMAX news

While Google is not expected to build and operate a WiMAX network themselves, the 600-pound gorilla would profit from their portal-like services (including VoIP) being the first thing the user saw when activating their 700 MHz WiMAX subscriber device. Any operator partnering with Google would have to build to please Google. Just as cellular service is based on the application (circuit switched voice done on a PSTN switch) and not the physical layer access (wireless), Google services just might be the most powerful driver for 700 MHz WiMAX services based on an open architecture, internet-centric business model (horizontally organized as opposed to a 19th century vertical organization a la cell phone structure).