Report: Google considers becoming a wireless carrier

A report published on Thursday has brought back a rumor that has been making the rounds over the last few years. According to "unnamed sources" who allegedly had discussions with Google, the Mountain View based tech titan is entertaining the idea of becoming a mobile carrier. The report says that Google could roll out the service in the same areas where it offers Google Fiber. Google had apparently toyed with the idea of offering wireless service in 2012, but by December of that year it had decided that there was too much red tape involved.

There was also some talk last year that Google would work out a deal to become a Sprint MVNO. Now, Google is said to be interested in working out an MVNO deal with Verizon or T-Mobile. Verizon is the largest carrier in the U.S., while T-Mobile is considered the most innovative operator in the industry.

There is speculation that Google would offer a hybrid service similar to Republic Wireless and Freedom Pop. These carriers offer their customers low cost  plans by using Wi-Fi connectivity to carry calls, texts and data. Once outside the range of a Wi-Fi signal, the carriers connect using a 3G or 4G signal from Sprint. Google's hybrid service could use Wi-Fi from Google Fiber and a regular cell signal from whichever carrier it partners up with.

source: TheInformation via AndroidAuthority