As anticipation grows around the impending launch of Google’s MVNO service (Mobile Virtual Network Operator, for those of us not in the traditional telecom industry), I think back to the Techonomy session “A Future Without Industries.” Google was once easily defined by their core search-engine product, but with its expansion into everything from robotics to glucose-monitoring contact lenses to connected thermostats, it’s hard to put Google into any one box. This isn’t Google’s first connectivity project. Their Google Fiber initiative is looking to redefine Internet and TV in the home. While Fiber is operating in only three cities, it has set the bar for cable and Internet providers. As an MVNO, Google will leverage the mobile infrastructure deployed by other major carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile, and will differentiate its services with programs like billing based on actual data usage and Wi-Fi calling.
