T-Mobile or Google?
Google could be making its first serious move into the mobile operator space as rumors suggest it’s looking to launch a new project known only as “Nova”.
That’s according to a report at The Information (paywalled), which claims that Google is looking to piggyback on the T-Mobile and Sprint networks in the U.S.
The tech giant is seeking to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in a similar way to Virgin Media and Tesco Mobile in the U.K.
Google will reportedly sell voice and data plans through an online store, likely to be Google Play, and the plans could come bundled with the company’s Nexus smartphones when they eventually launch.
Google wants to enter the mobile business in a bid to force wireless carriers to offer better services or lower prices, according to the report, which cites three people familiar with the matter.
However, analyst Benedict Evans suggested that Google’s ability to turn the wireless industry on its head might be very limited.
“It would be a lot easier for a Google MVNO to make the U.S. market just look like a normal competitive market than to transform it utterly,” he said on Twitter.
“The problem with MVNOs is that you’re completely dependent on the wholesale deal you get, and the cost base and quality of the host network.”
The project, codenamed Nova, is likely to launch this year under the leadership of Google exec Nick Fox, the report claims.
No further details about the mooted wireless service have been spilled, but it’s expected to debut in areas where Google presently offers its Fiber service. As with most Google products, we are likely to see it rolled out in the US for a period of time before potentially coming to the UK.
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