Google Android vs. The Celco Cyborgs

So what will Google’s new open-source software mean for the mobile phone industry? I’ve spun this Rubik’s cube around as many ways as I can think of and always come back to “not much”. I’d like a more open, flexible cellphone as much as the next guy but the problem isn’t the OS. The problem is that (most) of the major cellphone players control their handsets like an obsessive mama. You can only use their handsets to access their applications via their network. And for those of you just joining us, this isn’t an accident. The mobile carriers deliberately do this because… you guessed it, they want to make money. They have nothing to gain from a hyper-competitive market that lets consumers can access what they want, where they want, and how they want. So why would a new Google OS package change their minds? I don’t think it will. T-Mobile & Sprint might be willing to experiment with it in hopes of luring some subscribers but I somehow doubt they are willing to give consumers the freedom needed drive down prices. After all, isn’t that was regulators are supposed to do?