Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:
VZ) and
Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) (NYSE:
VOD),
announced today that it would be providing open access to its network in the near future. In short, customers will be given the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network, wireless devices, software and applications not offered by the company.
This is interesting stuff and the refashioning of a common practice for network operators to bundle a sale of a phone together with network connectivity. Now, consumers can decouple their cellular purchases and use whatever phones suit them.
The Wall Street Journal article discussing the Verizon announcement explained that "in the short term, the impact of the shift may be limited. Some analysts expect Verizon to charge customers using an outside phone more for its cell phone service. At the same time, because Verizon -- like other cell phone companies -- subsidizes the cost of phones, few consumers may want to spend the hundreds of dollars necessary to buy a phone independently of a carrier."
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Since hitting the market in 2007, Apple's (AAPL) iPhone has seen incredible growth. The design is sleek and the experience is user-friendly. Besides, there are more than 140,000 applications to download.
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