via adoyle on #geo Verizon is opening its network to allow any device that passes ‘qualifications’ to be allowed on the Verizon cellular network. The concept was best summarized by Dick Lynch, Verizon Wireless’ CTO:

“If someone has the technical capability of building something in their basement on a breadboard … have at it,”

This is really exciting, and smart for Verizon to go the way of, well, the internet. You don’t have to be using “approved” hardware to go onto the ‘net. You just have to match certain protocols. Albeit Verizon will probably be a little more strict, but then again they are just the first. They build the network, you bring the concepts.

Of course, you have to wonder how they’ll charge when devices show up that don’t have a concept of “minutes of talk time”. From the PC World article: “Officials declined to discuss pricing details, only saying prices would be “competitive.” More pricing details should be available after a developers conference early next year, they said.”

Now I’ll have a much better justification to pick up that Cellular Quad Band Module with GPS and onboard Python interpreter.