News - Google launches as MVNO in Spain

[HEXUS]

Now you can get Google SIM cards in Spain, should European operators be afraid?

Read more.

[impossible]

Prehaps they are NFC enabled sim's?

Imp

[Andi-C]

Bring it on !....

[McPhee]

I'm not sure this means anything really. No network operator is going to let Google piggyback on their network for a commercial operation. All they have done is set up an MNVO for their employees.

Still, if they do move in to the network market then I worry for the future of the industry. True, Google would give the network operators some much needed competition and end the days of them running things like a cartel, but where does that stop? Would they make the decision that the network doesn't need to make direct profit, killing any possibilities of fair competition? Would the network be data only with Google Voice and Talk for communications? Would it only run Android handsets?

Google as a mobile network operator would worry the industry deeply. Cheap tariffs, free Android handsets and unlimited/large data allowances? At the very least it would seriously concern Apple, Microsoft and the networks. At worst the free Android phones would be Google's in-house 'Motorola' models and they have other manufacturers scared as well. In 10 years could we see Apple owning Telefonica and Microsoft owning Vodafone (inc. Verison) and Nokia, with everyone else struggling/out of business? I don't think Apple or Microsoft have any interest in owning a network, but if they had to in order to produce tariffs competitive with Google's then I have no doubt that they would. Three companies controlling the whole of mobile? No thanks.