Industry analysts said U.S. Internet giant Google was poised, but not ready to open its own telephone company.
Google has been skirting the edges, honing in on the possibility of branching into telecommunications, CNNMoney.com reported Thursday. It has the fastest growing operating system for mobile phones -- the Android system that it provides for free to companies, hence its popularity. It openly competes through broadband with Google Voice, which now has 1.4 million users. It has also pushed into, but not yet successfully launched both Google TV and the Nexus One, a smart phone that flopped, but still can be notched as a learning experience.
"If Google could find an easy way to transition into the cell space and provide mobile coverage, there would be some serious advantages," said Ari Zoldan, chief executive officer at Quantum Networks, supplier for Sprint.
Industry analyst Al Hilwa at IDC said Google "learned the hard way," that breaking into the retail business with the Nexus One was "much easier said than done."
However, he said, "I have no doubt its ambition (to do so) remains intact."
Others said Google could jump in to the business, which keeps carriers it deals with now on their toes.
"While I think Google could become a mobile provider, I'd view it as a nuclear option," said Jeffrey Hammond, an analyst at Forrester Research.