Hacker News Reader

Comment by zacharypinter | Hacker News Reader

Whether the rumors are true or not, I'm really hoping for and looking forward to a version of Google Voice that works entirely over the phone's data connection. With Skype caller-id now supporting Google Voice numbers and Skype on Android, we're close, but not entirely there yet.

View on HN

Not to be a buzz kill, but I think that's the first thing that will be carrier disabled. The downside to Android's openness is that carriers are open to disable features that they don't like. And they certainly have been pushing against "dumb pipe" since there's still plenty of money in selling "minutes".

I suspect that you're right. It's one of the reasons I was enthusiastic to buy the Nexus One directly from Google, and was disappointed to see the idea fizzle.

I really think it'd be for the betterment of all of us if wireless phone companies became commodity wireless internet providers. Sigh...

Perhaps, but Verizon's LTE will be a "dumb pipe": https://www22.verizon.com/opendev/faq.aspx

It will be interesting to see what happens.

What leads you to believe that Verizon or any other carrier wants to become a dumb pipe?? A decade of contrary statements to the press suggests otherwise.

I doubt they want to, but the device openness on that spectrum is mandated by regulations.

Just because any ODI-approved device will be allowed on their network doesn't mean that they have to sell/subsidize devices that are free to use the data connection for calls.

so buy the rooted/rootable android device from hacker-friendly company X, and run it on VZ's LTE network.

That's not something the carrier can disable. The Google Voice APK is a side loadable app. The only way VZW/ATT could kill it is if they sniffed the traffic from EVERY SINGLE PHONE and tried to block access to the SIP endpoint.

... which isn't feasible or possible on the scale you'd be talking about.

There are plenty of vendors who would kill for the chance to sell a box to Verizon that blocked all traffic on the ports that this would use.

Which would certainly reignite the whole net neutrality debate.

Several phones don't allow non-market apps.

By several do you mean 2 from AT&T? And that can easily accept sideloaded apps regardless of AT&T's desires? yeah...

Or the carriers can simply choose not to preinstall Gingerbread on the new phones.

Thats not really that bad though - you can still buy phones that can be rooted.

Or just not live in America :)

Or get a Nexus One, which you don't need to root. Still the best phone in my opinion.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com