The Google Phone

An interesting rumor from Elinor Mills at News.com:

Simeon Simeonov of Polaris Venture Partners writes ... that [Google Phone] will be a Blackberry-like device ... [that will] offer voice over Internet Protocol.

"Apparently, Google is planning to build distribution relationships with multiple carriers by allowing them to minimize subscription and marketing costs," Simeonov writes. "In other words, Google will market the phone online and carriers will fulfill. How fast can you say dumb pipe?"

See also my August 2005 post, " Google Talk and VoIP over WiFi", where I said:

What if I had a phone that works over WiFi? ... What if there was city-wide WiFi coverage? Or WiFi coverage equivalent to cell phone networks (covering cities and major highways)? [Then] my WiFi phone would work everywhere.

Google just launched Google Talk, a VoIP application. Google is rumored to be thinking about a nationwide free WiFi network. Combined these two, add a WiFi phone to the mix, and am I about to get free mobile calling nationwide?

See also my August 2006 follow-up post, "More on Google and VoIP using WiFi".

Update: Six weeks later, Danny Sullivan posts a good timeline and summary of rumors and information about the Google Phone.