Mobile networks have always had a tight control over what you can do with your phone- obviously, you get a subsidized handset when you sign up, and they need to recoup the cost with line rental and call charges.

In the early days of mobiles, the main differentiator between networks was coverage; One-2-One in particular were the cheapest, but you had to put up with poorer coverage (especially outside urban areas.) But today, the difference is much smaller. Networks are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves from one another to establish a competetive advantage- but without just being a “dumb pipe”; if you’re selling point is the cheapest access, then anyone can compete by undercutting your price- and you have to cut your profit margins to stay in the game. As networks get increasingly competetive on voice and text costs, data seems to be the next battleground.

When you travel abroad, you’re no longer tied to the same network; your phone can switch between any available network. When you’re using data services, your phone will prioritize 3G over 2G, and WiFi over 3G, automatically selecting the best service available. But not for voice calls and text messages, and only on networks you’re subscribed to.

So it’s interesting to hear about a Google patent that keeps airwaves competitive. The idea is straightforward; a system that checks the available networks and uses the cheapest one available. The benefits are obvious from a consumer perspective- obviously, less so from the networks point of view.

It’s a shame that there doesn’t seem to be much of a chance of it becoming something useful to todays mobile consumers; what network is going to try to compete on that level? While you might be able to choose between networks when roaming abroad, I can’t see any network letting you switch to a competitor when their own service is available.

But maybe there is a glimmer of hope in data access. Wireless Internet connections via WiFi hotspots and home networks don’t go through the mobile networks. VOIP let’s you make voice calls through internet connections, and it’s only a matter of time until this technology becomes widespread on mobile handsets.. Perhaps future wireless networks that work over short ranges will compete with the 2G/3G networks and help bring down wireless access prices to a level that’s more competetive with fixed line prices, rather than just with each other?

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