Verizon carries on with open development initiative, publishes LTE specs
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Apr 27th 2009 4:18AM
posted Apr 27th 2009 4:18AM
Verizon's commitment to keeping its network open for anyone who'd like to make a device that can use it transcends the network's technology, apparently, as they've now published "initial" specifications for building compliant LTE goodies. Naturally, would-be applicants will have to wait for a live network for this to actually work, but the carrier wants to encourage everyone to get an early start in preparation for a planned 2010 commercial network launch in a handful of markets. The publication of the specs leads up to a May 13 web conference where interested parties will have an opportunity to get more information and share their opinions on the process -- so do your homework, read up, and get ready.
So... this is all just PR then?
LTE is an open spec, like UMTS and GSM before it. Even if an operator wants to, there's little they can do to ban third party, standards compliant, devices from operating on their networks.
Verizon's announcement was originally overstated in the first place, but there was a slightly glimmer of positivity in that it looked, for a time, as if Verizon was going to be one of the few IS-95/IS-2000 ("CDMA") operators prepared to open up their network. But the fact they've only announced specs for the one standard that's already open and already well documented makes it even more disappointing.
Come on Verizon, do the right thing: open up your existing network. Be the first US operator with an open IS-95/2000 network. Make R-UIMs available to any customer who wants one, and let anyone willing to make devices compatible with the IS-95/2000 standards sell their stuff to your customers without you needing to get involved.
Until then, stop promoting the notion that you've opened up your network, because you clearly haven't, and you clearly have no intention of opening up the network you have today. Saying you're going to build a network tomorrow based on open standards is not the same thing.
Don't people find this amazing? Verizon is willing to do anything to make their network "open" to any hardware, yet they lock down all of the features on their phones? What a double standard!
I have read on HoFo that someone has used their open handset initiative to get their sprint touch diamond on verizon. Also, there is little they can do to ban sprint CDMA phones from operating on their network. Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that people can take their sprint phones and activate them on Verzion's network now without submitting them for qual testing at VZW.
Also, in the scheme of things does it really matter? How many people are buying handsets without the contract subsidies anyway? I am looking forward to being able to take a nice phone with me from verizon to ATT or vice versa but is it that big a deal?
Don't believe that crap, vzw isn't activating any phone that doesn't have thier brand initially
I have personally activated at least 6 Sprint and Alltel phones on VZW without a problem.
PWN3D!
@ elgee02:
How easy was that? Just have to add the ESN/MEID to the network database or something? Any software flashing required?
Gib,
It depends on certain phones. For example, a Sprint branded or Alltel RAZR would be no problem 9 times out of 10, since VZW also carries the RAZR usually the ESNs of those models get activated by VZW without a problem. But like a Sprint branded Sanyo phone would likely not work at all, since VZW never carried Sanyo phones, the ESNs wouldn't register at all with VZW.