Verizon Details Open Network Plan

The world of public safety communications has been focused on the FCC’s recently-ended spectrum auction, but existing wireless carriers are hoping to snag some customers by opening up their networks to any person and any device. At a conference this week, Verizon Wireless released some details on how new devices would be certified to work on its system, but left out details on pricing for the device companies, and how much an open access plan would cost device users. The company’s openness was prompted by calls from Google and others for the auctioned spectrum to be totally accessible. For public safety, Verizon’s openness means that custom-designed mobile devices for voice and data could provide new features beyond a typical MDT and portable radio. Verizon’s said its CDMA network might have several thousand alternative devices on-line by year’s end. For the techno-types, surf the Verizon’s open access Web site.