A new major player could be coming to the world of wireless service providers. Google confirmed plans to launch its own wireless service in the next several months, albeit in a limited capacity. 

CNET reports that Google’s senior vice president of products, Sundar Pichai, verified the plans during Mobile World Congress, an industry trade show in Spain, on Monday.

Pichai says the company is in talks with other wireless carriers to carry out the project to offer a hybrid service that would rely on cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

The company says the new service won’t be a direct competitor with other wireless providers, instead, it will serve as a way for Google to drive innovation.

Business Insider reports that Google will likely become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which buys spectrum from someone else and then rebrands or repackages it for a new service.

The company is currently rumored to be working with Sprint and T-Mobile for its cellular service, CNET reports.

“We don’t intend to be a network operator at scale,” Pichai said during a keynote address at the trade show. “We are working with carrier partners. You’ll see our answer in coming months. Our goal is to drive a set of innovations we think should arrive, but do it a smaller scale, like Nexus devices, so people will see what we’re doing.”

Google’s Pichai confirms wireless service ‘in coming months’[CNET]
Google confirms plans to launch its own wireless service [Business Insider]

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