Google Voice and Google Nexus One - All's Well that Ends Well

There was a sound of revelry by night,

And Belgium’s capital had gather’d then

Her Beauty and her Chivalry, and bright

The lamps shone o’er fair women and brave men.

Byron, Childe Harold, III

Google Chrome OS is now the ONLY hope to save Netbooks and Laptops, if the words of Google CEO Eric Schmidt uttered and witnessed in a recent interview with EnGadget at Web 2.0 in November 2010 as stated in the article “Eric Schmidt: Chrome OS aimed at keyboard based solutions, android optimized for touch”, published November 15th 2010 by Joanna Stern, EnGadget and as per the analysis of my blog article entitled “Google Chrome OS and smart Books - Connection between SSD's, Fountain of Youth and Lazarus” are to believed.

Google Chrome is confirmed to be shipping with the latest batch of Netbooks and Laptops later in November 2010 as stated in the article “First Chrome OS notebook coming this month”, published November 2, 2010 by Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends.

Hopefully Google’s partners realize the cost reductions that using the Google Chrome OS and its Cloud Computing concept implies and have taken a cue from the Apple MacBook Air and used SSD (Solid State Drives) as SSD’s = Lower operating temperatures + better performance at lower processor speeds as implied in the article “Will HP, Dell, Sony answer 11-inch MacBook Air?”, published October 30, 2010 2:04 PM PDT by Brooke Crothers, CNET News - Nanotech - The Circuits Blog, and as stated in my blog article “Dell Inspiron Duo and Solid State Drives - Charles Darwin and the Survival of the Fittest”. So says the Gingerbread Man sitting on Google’s front lawn.

What then, is the Bard to make of their venture into the smart phone arena? Has their Google Nexus One been a total failure? Or does Google have something special in mind for their first branded smart phone baptized in the Mobile arena? John Public puts on his Telecoms Hat and analyzes the data of Google’s happenings for the year and comes to a startling conclusion that, if true, would certainly hasten the coming of DSO (Digital Switch Over), MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and foreign investment here in Jamaica.

Here in Jamaica, you say? Yes indeed. In fact, almost everything here in Jamaica is connected to the possibility of Google coming to Jamaica, and in a very big way, so I shall try to keep it simple.

The integration of thus far successful Google Voice into Gmail as per the article “Google: 1 million Gmail calls during first day”, published August 26, 2010 12:38 PM PDT by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech as well as my blog article entitled “Google and Google Voice - The World is Not Enough” is a sure sign of a further push into Telecoms. Jamaica may stand to benefit, with the efforts of some good lobbying to get Google to come to Jamaica and thus proving the equation DSO + MNP + Spectrum Auctions = Telecoms Investment + Increased GOJ Taxes.

Google in Jamaica is not too big a stretch. Google already has investments in Telecom Provider Clearwire, the provider of WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d, e) as stated in the article “Report: Clearwire gets more cash from investors”, published November 9, 2009 10:56 AM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength.

As well as their subsidizing of Fiber Optic testing to develop applications that use 100MBps bandwidth as stated in the article as stated in the article “Google subsidizing ultrafast Broadband test”, published February 10, 2010 8:58 AM PST, by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech.

Ironically (or is it coincidentally?), Triple Play Provider FLOW announced that they were offering 100MBps Cable Broadband as stated in the article “FLOW to bring 100Mbs to Jamaican homes”, published Saturday October 16 2010, The Jamaica Observer, with Telecom Provider CLARO declaring a push towards LTE (Long Term Evolution) a mere six (6) days later as stated in the article “Game on!”, published Friday October 22, 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

With Telecom Provider Verizon in North America throwing their hat in the ring by declaring that they were offering 150MBps FIOS (Fiber Optic Service) at a pricey US$149 for a thirty (30) day subscription as stated in the article Verizon intros 150MBps broadband on FIOS”, published November 22, 2010 3:31 PM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength, (http://www.cnet.com).

This just in, folks: Google Voice has now been accepted by Apple as stated in the article “After tussle, Google Voice application comes to iPhone”, published Tuesday November 16 2010 by AFP, Yahoo News and stated in the article “Apple relents and approves Google Voice app for iPhone”, published Wednesday November 17 2010 by NewsFactor, Yahoo News.

Score one for Google! You see, Google, which has clearly been pushing into Telecoms, has also launched the Google branded Nexus One, their answer to the Apple iPhone designed for them by HTC and powered by their Google Android 2.2 OS codenamed Froyo.

It too, like Google Buzz, launched earlier in January 2010, “tanked” as the American would say, mainly because Google was trying something experimentally new: selling a smart phone online, with no Customer Care and not tied to a two (2) year contract, effectively an unlocked phone, except with the proviso that the gave the user the option to choose which of the four (4) Telecom Provider the Customer wishes to use.

Google only sold one hundred and thirty five thousand (135,000) units in seventy four (74) days, effectively riding the “fail whale”, (another catchy America phrase!!) especially in light of the one million (1,000,000) sold at the debut of the Apple iPhone in 2007 on Telecom Provider AT&T Network as reported by Flurry Analytics in the article “Why Google's Nexus One hasn't flopped (yet)”, published March 16, 2010 1:03 PM PDT by Tom Krazit, CNET News - Relevant Results.

Google’s Android Head of Development, Andy Rubin, later made statements attributed to him, saying that they [Google] would probably sell only “150,000 Nexus Ones”, thus making Google Nexus One more about shaking up the current Telecom business of smart phones locked to specific Networks and their plans on sale as opposed to giving Customers the freedom to choose the phone then have the choice of the Telecom Provider and its Plan separate. A brilliant plan, if only it had worked.

People still wanted Customer Care, especially as the phones gave problems after purchase as stated in the article “Google launches Nexus One phone support”, published February 8, 2010 8:55 PM PST by Steven Musil CNET News – Wireless and they later backtracked on their initial model by offering the phone at retail stores through Telecom Provider T-Mobile, after Telecom Provider Verizon and Telecom Provider Sprint backed out of the arrangement as stated in the article “Google turns Nexus One strategy upside down”, published May 14, 2010 9:55 AM PDT by Tom Krazit, CNET News – Wireless.

The words of Google’s Android Head of Development, Andy Rubin sums it up best: “While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not; It's remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it's clear that many Customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.”

Back to the drawing board with the results of the experiment: Google Android is popular platform for smart phones but need to include online Customer Care via Google Voice Integration with Gmail and design the smart phone to be able to work on both CDMA [Telecom Provider Verizon and Telecom Provider Sprint] and GSM [Telecom Provider AT&T and Telecom Provider T-Mobile] Networks for Voice Telecoms Services and utilize 3G, 4G or WiMax Networks for Data Telecom Services.

Thus the comeback of the Google Nexus One in August 2010, which was snapped up by app Developers eager to experiment with this otherwise unlocked Google Android 2.2 powered smart phone as stated in the article “A flop with consumers, sold-out Nexus One scores with developers”, Friday August 20, 2010 4:50 pm ET, by Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo News prompted Google’s Tim Bray to state on Google’s Android Developers blog that Google, quote “blew through the (substantial) initial inventory in almost no time”, hinting quite succinctly at the possibility of more units to be ready for Christmas.

After sneaky Google staffers placed a gigantic Gingerbread man on Google’s front lawn, rumours of a possible coming of a Google Nexus Two made by Samsung, not HTC and running on Google Android OS 2.3 codenamed Gingerbread as stated in the article “Is Samsung making Gingerbread-powered 'Nexus' phone for Google?”, published Friday October 29,2010 4:01 pm ET By Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo News.

Evidence can be seen in the article “More evidence of revamped Nexus phone spotted”, published Thursday November 11, 2010 2:49 pm ET By Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo News are already making the New Year look bright – and Apple CEO Steve Jobs have restless nights with all these rumours.

Meanwhile here in Jamaica, DSO (Digital Switch Over) for the Big Three (3) Broadcasters is now set for 2015 AD by the Broadcasting Commission’s as stated in the article “Timeline set for digital switchover; Broadcasting Commission, media group disagree on pace”, published Sunday November 21, 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner and predicted in my blog article entitled “Broadcasting and Digital Switch Over - Back to the future to compete with LIME TV”.

Equally, MRSI (Mandatory Registration of Subscriber Information), a perfect set-up for MNP (Mobile Number Portability), long stated as being necessary as stated in the article “OUR signals policy shift on portability - says Jamaica running out of phone numbers”, published Friday November 20, 2009, by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This is now enshrined in law as an additional tool to allow the Police to track and apprehend suspected criminals using requests for mobile instrument call history and Geo-Location information from the Big Three (3) Telecom Providers as stated in the article “Cabinet approves MRSI Bill”, published Thursday November 18 2010, Go-Jamaica, The Jamaica Gleaner a well as stated in the article “Phone companies to be forced to provide information”, published Friday, November 19, 2010, The Jamaica Observer,

My blog article entitled “MRSI and MNP - Where the Spies Are” provides further evidence. The power of Government Regulation in the face of lazy Private Sector, who would sit and resist change while making money; now the Big Three (3) Broadcasters and Big Three (3) Telecom Providers are now merely goldfishes in a fishbowl swimming around on the new set of Smile Jamaica on Television Jamaica!

Newspapers, watch out, regulation is soon coming!

Throw in the now open auction of spectrum by the Spectrum Management Authority in the 1900 MHz and 2100MHz region, which despite being a bit high, is still suitable for a WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) based Data Networks as stated in the article “Government mulls new mobile provider”, published Wednesday, November 24, 2010 The Jamaica Observer.

Thus you have the perfect regulatory environment for an investor of the caliber as Google, to set up their own Telecom Network (may I recommend Ericsson for everything?) to provide both Voice and Data Telecom Services selling their own branded Google Nexus One and Google Nexus Two smart phones with Google Voice support.

But it also sets up the stage for Google to purchase the RJR Communications Group and fund the DSO, which they apparently are having difficulty doing as the article “RJR's future profitability looks shaky”, published Wednesday, October 20, 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

Thus, if Google follows through, launches Google Nexus Two with above improvements and purchases the RJR Communications Group and a Telecoms License here in Jamaica, confirmation of which we may read of in the newspapers as to who has actually taken up this spectrum offering, then the following equation would have been confirmed: DSO + MNP + Spectrum Auctions = Telecoms Investment + Increased GOJ Taxes.

In one fell swoop, Google can become both a Broadcaster and a Telecom Provider. Telecoms is a relatively profitable venture in Jamaica, being one of the few countries where Telecom Providers are still reaping rewards, with increases in calling and profits of Telecom Providers based on a report by the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) despite the current Global Recession as stated in the article “Telecom revenue hit record in September Q” published Wednesday July 7^th 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

With profits up by 6.5% year-on-year to US$13.5 billion!

Just to get themselves started, though, Google could begin by offering Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) services by buying fiber optic T1 connectivity from Columbus Communications, the parent of Triple Play Provider, to compete with Wayne Chen and Lee’s owned Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks Dekal Wireless [a Droid] as stated  in the article “Wayne Chen, Lees enter Wireless Broadband Market”, published Friday July 30^th 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Ditto too for upstart Nubian-1 Tech Services Ltd [Princess Amidala’s Royal starship] as stated in the article “Another small player emerges in the wireless Broadband market”, published Friday August 2 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner, another set-up for “Super” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n). All’s Well that Ends Well, as per the Bard.