WASHINGTON — With its winning $4.7 billion bid last week, Verizon Wireless didn’t just stake claim to beachfront wireless property, it also grabbed control of the guest list to the open-access party.
The government, in opening up the coveted swath of the spectrum, essentially said the winner must allow consumers to use any compatible device or software on it as long as it doesn’t harm the network.
But analysts said the open-access playground comes with restrictions and Verizon, as the winner, will be the one making the rules and setting the schedule.
Open-access rules are designed to loosen that grip, giving way to more products, innovation and competition. But with Verizon in a gatekeeper’s role, analysts and others say they expect an incremental improvement.
“This won’t immediately change much for the average consumer buying an average phone,” said Avi Greengart, research director for mobile devices at consulting firm Current Analysis. The Associated Press
