It seems rare that major companies would want to collaborate on something to positively affect the regular consumer these days. But some of the best phone carriers are doing just that, in an attempt to end dead zones.
No, not the novel by Stephen King, or the excellent movie starring Christopher Walken. We're talking about wireless dead zones: areas with no compatible cell signal that cut you off from all mobile services — including calls and data.
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile now have an agreement in principle to help end the problem of dead zones by sharing their resources.
The announcement is fairly light on details, but according to Verizon, the deal will not involve building a bunch more cell towers across the country. Instead, it's going to focus on satellite connectivity and beam a connection to your device from space from a "unified platform."
The overall aim is to, in the words of the big three, "nearly eliminate" dead zones within the U.S. This will involve reaching areas that have been underserved by major carriers, and providing reliable backup connectivity options if traditional cell signal breaks down — such as during emergencies or natural disasters.
What other benefits are there?
Customers will also apparently benefit from a consistent and simpler satellite connection, regardless of which carrier they're signed up with. That means better connectivity and faster rollout of updates and new features for everyone at the same time.
The carriers say that this will also "drive industry progress by enabling competition, fostering innovation, expanding access, and simplifying integration." The main reason is probably that working together makes it easier (and cheaper) to offer improved satellite connectivity than going it alone.
The announcement does make a valid point about satellite spectrum being scarce, and teaming up means they don't have to constantly fight just to license a fraction of the available spectrum for their customers. More access to spectrum should mean better connectivity for the end user, so long as the big three aren't allowed to dominate the skies and prevent other satellite-based companies from getting a look in.
The deal hasn't been finalized yet, and since this is only an agreement in principle, there's always a possibility that these plans will fall through. Assuming the lawyers can push this through, there's no set timeline on when the plans will actually come to fruition. So we're just going to have to wait and see how these plans pan out over the next few years.
