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Additional Carriers to Offer Google Voice Integration
Google Confirms They're In Talks, But Isn't Naming Names
Hoping to do something a little more progressive than their two largest disruption-fearing competitors, in 2009 Sprint started offering closer integration with Google Voice, allowing users to turn their handset number into a Google Voice number. In contrast, companies that felt threatened by the idea of losing key handset functionality like voicemail control to a competitor (AT&T at one point tried to argue Google Voice was mean to nuns) have been a little more standoffish. Now Sprint's role as the only carrier to offer such tight integration is coming to an and, with Google claiming they're in talks with several unnamed carriers. While no carriers are named it seems fairly likely that Verizon is among the carriers Google is talking to, since they've already become BFFs after collectively working to prevent wireless neutrality rules.
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cchhat01
Dr. Zoidberg
join:2001-05-01
Elmhurst, NY

cchhat01

Member

I don't like the sound of...

Google and Verizon being BFFs... Its like finding them in bed together... Ughhh.
Where's T-Mobile in all this... considering T-Mobile is the carrier that helped launch Android in the country...
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT
·Frontier FiberOp..
Asus RT-AC68

1 recommendation

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: I don't like the sound of...

T-Mobile did launch the first phone, but Android would not have taken off if Verizon hadn't championed it with top-notch phones and a bazillion dollars of advertising muscle put behind it. In fact, I believe that if Apple had launched the iPhone on all four carriers, Android would be a small niche market today.

Lone Wolf
Retired
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
USA

Lone Wolf

Premium Member

I Don't Understand

I've been using Google Voice since 2009 and never had a Sprint account. The "closer integration" with Google Voice will not help any specific carriers because Google Voice can be used with any big carrier or MVNO. The little bit of extraneous functionality on the handsets with Google Voice will not sway people to switch to VZW.

Give me an unlocked phone with a SIM card and I'll use Google Voice on my phone without the high fees of the big telecom companies by using an MVNO.

DaSneaky1D
what's up
MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou

DaSneaky1D

MVM

Re: I Don't Understand

The integration with a carrier allows for seamless and on demand activation of your existing mobile number on the Google Voice service. What's possible with GV and other providers without the integration option is not quite the same thing.

The only downside to it is if you want to keep two distinct numbers, it will not allow you to do so.

Lone Wolf
Retired
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
USA

Lone Wolf

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

Google Voice numbers can be "ported" to your phone regardless of your carrier which leaves you with one number rather than two. Google now charges $10 for the service.

I still am not sure what is meant by "seamless integration" and if it will convince people to switch carriers.

DaSneaky1D
what's up
MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou

DaSneaky1D

MVM

Re: I Don't Understand

This isn't porting, however. Porting involves completely leaving one carrier's service for another. What GV Integration allows is for the same "effect" of porting your number, but it's completely at will and can be activated/deactivated as you'd like.

It's a great service, but the integration doesn't work for people that want to have two numbers (ie, personal number and number for another city) that can be used to dial out at your preference.

In the end, it's not what you're use to. Once you try it, you'll see the difference.

Lone Wolf
Retired
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
USA

Lone Wolf

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

said by DaSneaky1D:

This isn't porting, however. Porting involves completely leaving one carrier's service for another. ..................

Once you try it, you'll see the difference.

You can port a number to GV and leave your carrier but you can also port your number to GV and keep your carrier and get a new number.

My android devices give me 3 choices with GV:

1. Use GV for all calls
2. Use my device's number for all calls
3. Ask every time

And I've tried it and have been using it for several years and love the difference.

TheHelpful1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-11
Upper Marlboro, MD

TheHelpful1 to DaSneaky1D

Premium Member

to DaSneaky1D
I = confused. I have the international Galaxy S2 and Google Voice. Anyone calls my GV number it rings through to my phone and anytime I make a call I have it set to prompt me on whether I want to dial out on my ATT number or my GV number.

What tighter integration do they speak of?

bemis
Premium Member
join:2008-07-18
united state

bemis to Lone Wolf

Premium Member

to Lone Wolf
The biggest impediment I've found with my iPhone is that I can't simply make a call or send a TXT and have it come from my GV #. I have to launch the GV app first. Sometimes this will fail due to data issues, or similar, even though a regular call or text works OK.

I would imagine that the "tighter integration" will be that you have one number which is both your GV number and your cell #. No more 2nd phone number to confuse people when you accidentally make a call or txt from it.

Also, no more missed calls at other GV locations when someone dials your cell phone number instead of your GV number, etc...

I would welcome this, particularly if they can achieve it with iPhone. The idea is that rather than relying on the app to handle GV vs. cell #, you handle this at the back end and leave the handset to just making calls and txts.
bemis

bemis

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

Also worth pointing out is that a partnership with VZ or AT&T could easily lead to local phone service with your GV number as well, another thing I would mind... a true "ring everywhere" service without friends making fun for me for having 3-4 different phone numbers that I potential call them from.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

said by bemis:

a true "ring everywhere" service without friends making fun for me for having 3-4 different phone numbers that I potential call them from.

That's what GV does. I've not used GV on an iPhone, but I know it works fairly well on Android and even from Google Chat and/or Google Voice when logged in with a web browser.

bemis
Premium Member
join:2008-07-18
united state

bemis

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

said by openbox9:

said by bemis:

a true "ring everywhere" service without friends making fun for me for having 3-4 different phone numbers that I potential call them from.

That's what GV does. I've not used GV on an iPhone, but I know it works fairly well on Android and even from Google Chat and/or Google Voice when logged in with a web browser.

Right, I guess what I mean is that instead of it just forwarding calls and doing a multi-ring for whoever answers first, I'd like each phone to believe that it has that number for itself, or even better be "aware" of current calls, etc.

The way GV is now, you have a cell number and a house number and a GV number. I want a single number, skip all this other crap. But, perhaps that's a pipe dream.

Something else I've longed for is a method to hand a call off between cell and land line. Often I'll either be coming or going and wishing I could move a call from one to other. I know it's not a big deal to just call someone, it's maybe 20 seconds, but it's something I'd like. It would also be hugely helpful when participating in conference calls--right now I am forced to sit tight otherwise people have to hear the call-drop tone, then a call-entrance tone.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

said by bemis:

The way GV is now, you have a cell number and a house number and a GV number. I want a single number, skip all this other crap. But, perhaps that's a pipe dream.

My mobile phone is my only phone. I use my GV# for making and receiving calls. If I want to (I don't), I can even receive and make calls with my work phone using my GV#. One number, everywhere, forever.....
said by bemis:

Something else I've longed for is a method to hand a call off between cell and land line.

That might be nice for those that still have a landline, but I'd rather cellular to WiFi hand-off be seamless and functional.
openbox9

openbox9 to bemis

Premium Member

to bemis
said by bemis:

The biggest impediment I've found with my iPhone is that I can't simply make a call or send a TXT and have it come from my GV #.

Blame Apple for that

K Long
@comcast.net

K Long

Anon

Re: I Don't Understand

I actually found a jailbreak for the iphone that lets you use Google Voice in the native iphone message and phone apps. Works well and really made things simpler for me.

bemis
Premium Member
join:2008-07-18
united state

bemis

Premium Member

Re: I Don't Understand

Care to share? My 3GS is JB.