Google exec confirms phone service aspirations were axed

Lately we’ve heard a few reports that Google and Dish were in talks to launch their own Google wireless service, something that would be amazing. Today however it looks like Google’s been looking into offering their own phone services before, but those plans have all since been axed and canceled. Below are a few comments from Google’s own VP Milo Medin, who was speaking on the matter.

This week Vice President of Google Access Services Milo Medin made a few casual comments on the fact Google was looking into their own phone services. He mentioned it casually as if it wasn’t a big deal, but we all know how big of a deal Google’s own carrier could be to the US smartphone market. Google’s recently launched their high-speed Google Fiber cable service in Kansas, and apparently their phone service was just as close — but never saw the light of day.

When it all comes down to it Medin is basically stating that a VoIP service could very well have been a reality already for Google if it weren’t for regulations that blocked them from entering the market. Those same regulations weren’t as big of an issue for Google Fiber, hence that project went forward:

“We looked at doing that. The cost of actually delivering telephone services is almost nothing. However, in the United States, there are all of these special rules that apply.” – Medin

This comment and discussion was brought up on Monday at the CityAge Summit on the New American City at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Business leaders and officials alike were speaking at the summit, and Google’s phone service and Fiber were both hot topics of discussion. For now Google Fiber is gaining traction and rolling out in Kansas City as we speak, while Google’s phone service aspirations are on the back burner. Hopefully all this talk with Dish regarding a “data-only” service ends up happening, as that seems far more likely at this point.

[via SlashGear]