Google could put an end to international roaming fees
Google is reportedly in talks with several mobile networks that would allow travelers to use their phones abroad at no additional cost.
Among the companies that Google is talking to is the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, according to The Telegraph, which first reported the negotiations over the weekend. Hutchison owns the mobile operator Three.
By teaming up with Hutchison, Google could gain access to mobile services in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy and several more countries where the Hong Kong conglomerate owns mobile networks. It also operates in Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Austria.
A spokesperson for Google said the company did not comment on "rumors or speculation." A spokeswoman for Hutchison did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Roaming fees are one of the biggest headaches of traveling. Travelers are routinely hit with steep fees for calls, text messages and Internet data, unless they have an international plan that offers some relief or sign onto a local plan once they arrive at their destination.
Reduced roaming fees have become a key marketing tool for carriers challenging larger incumbents. For example, T-Mobile offers some free international roaming benefits and has lured customers away from the top US carriers, AT&T and Verizon, according to CNET.
In March, Google said it would offer mobile phone network service this year through partnerships to use other operators' network infrastructure. Although Google's product chief Sundar Pichai said the service will be "smaller scale," it could unsettle the market by offering lower prices.
"When Google gets into this space, they are going to make things more competitive. They are going to put some pressure on Verizon and AT&T," CNET tech reporter Bridget Carey told CBS News. "If they can get that price low, consumers will say, 'Wait a second, why can't other carriers do the same?'"
Carey said Google has the potential to rattle the mobile market as much as it has broadband service since it rolled out Google Fiber.
"Now, you have AT&T and others offering high speed (Internet) at good prices," she said.