Lots of things are happening in the area of wireless communications that need to be pulled together to see how they are going to impact us in the not too distant future. Here are the events, not in chronological order but in order of importance. First, Verizon Wireless is opening its network to let any device that meets its specifications be activated on their network. Next, Google has announced the release of Android, its mobile phone software platform that will be released under the Open Source license. Last, later this month, the FCC is going to auction off newly available radio frequencies for use by cell phone providers and they are restricting a portion to be used for open standards devices so that anything legal can be connected to it.
What do these things mean when put together? We should see a new generation of computing devices start to show up in the market. The ability to build a portable device and get wireless service for it will be so much easier that garage tinkerers will be able to start working on the devices we want as opposed to the ones that our teenagers want. You’ll see more devices like the Amazon Kindle, which is an electronic book. The Kindle has a built-in connection to the cell network for ordering and downloading books. There is no phone involved, but it uses the cellular network. Imagine!
We still hope for the holy grail of portable devices. That one thing that is pocket friendly and allows phone calls, email management, calendar and contacts. It will have an enormously long battery life and connect high speed to the Internet with a real web browser. While we’re at it, let’s throw in a decent camera and voice recorder. That’s not going to happen right away, but these three events in the wireless space will bring that day realistically close.