We've discussed at length how products like Google Voice stand to revolutionize the wireless industry, by taking content and even dialing mechanisms away from the telcos, decimating the traditional idea of SMS and voice minutes, and potentially turning wireless carriers into dumb pipe carriers. The carriers' first reaction once they realize this is of course terror, which is why Google CEO Eric Schmidt has spent this week at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress trade show trying to ease carrier fears, and remind them that there's plenty of money to be made through cooperation and collaboration:Of course carriers don't want to just run a network. They unrealistically want to be everything to everyone, offering network connectivity, content, and every service the consumer would ever want -- while directly soaking up all the ad revenue. The problem has been many carriers aren't particularly adaptive or innovative, so many of these offerings wind up being less than compelling. Despite the sweet talk, Google really does want the carriers to be simply dump pipes, and that's simply something most carriers will never concede to.

Sure, Verizon's now collaborating in a limited fashion with Skype and Google Android, but with the other hand they pay money to guys like Scott Cleland, whose full time job is smearing Google on Verizon and AT&T's behalf. Vodafone, Verizon's giant overseas partner, took Google's fig leaf and spent their time at Mobile World Congress complaining about Google being too powerful.

Collaboration with Google simply won't come without an ugly fight, and evolution is on Google's side. Fighting against the tide of open devices and networks is a losing proposition for wireless carriers. Inevitably wireless operators will simply be forced to do what Verizon has started doing and wind up making application freedom a luxury data tier, crafting wireless data plans that nudge user bills ever skyward, while also charging endlessly higher fees and higher ETFs.

Oh, and somewhere in there they'll have to focus on running a network.