Public Knowledge President Gigi B. Sohn today said the new Open Handset Alliance, led by Google and other leading companies to develop new cellular technologies, “is a step in the right direction to benefit consumers.”
“This project shows the value that most of the wireless world places on opening up cell phones and wireless services. The FCC, and leading American cellular companies, should take notice and realize that this trend is one they will not be able to stop.” Public Knowledge, along with other members of the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, asked in the FCC's 700 MHz proceeding that the Commission require open services and handsets, and supported the petition filed by Skype which asked the FCC to allow any device to be connected to any existing cellular service, assuming the network is not harmed.
The Open Handset Alliance is a coalition of 34 service operators, handset manufacturers, software companies and chip makers that has dedicated itself to developing an open platform for wireless devices.