Is Apple trying to become their own wireless carrier?

Factual Questions
1

I was just looking at Apple’s website and the “Facetime” feature on the new iPod Touch. This looks to me like a sort of exploratory experiment to find ways around having to partner with cell phone companies.

Do you think that Apple is counting on Wi-Fi becoming ubiquitous so they can essentially become their own wireless carrier? Granted, I understand the limitations of VoIP, especially if a large number of users are connected at the same time as opposed to a dedicated voice network, but it’s all just a data network, right?

2

From what little I’ve heard, Facetime only works with other iPhones and iPod Touches (and then only on wifi). It may be useful, but it is not a phone, it is a networked device.

I have a cheap prepaid cell phone, and while I haven’t tried it to be sure, I think it can call just about every other phone.

As for your question, cell phone data plans using 3G and the like are popular because Wi-Fi isn’t ubiquitous enough to provide seamless coverage. And I suppose a company like Apple might have enough presence to make it happen, but in that case they are well behind established cell phone data networks and Apple usually doesn’t compete in playing ‘catch-up’, they tend to prefer leading.

3

I’ve been pondering this, too.

I think that they’ve got the idea in the back of their minds, but I don’t think the new iPod touch is really much of a foray into the market.

Here’s what they would have done if they really wanted to strike fear into the hearts of the network providers: put the speaker up at the top.

If the iPod touch had a speaker at the top, people who wanted to roll their own could turn it into a skypefone. Just run Skype in the background and voila, the non-cell phone. I was already planning to do this until I found out the speaker is in the wrong place to use it as a phone.

4

Indeed. You might get good coverage of shared Wi-Fi in downtown type areas but outside of a city it is going to get spotty at best. I suppose for somebody who did 99% of their calling at home or from the office, it might work, but I would think you would still want some type of traditional cell back-up.