Google’s much anticipated mobile network which has been said to be in partnership with larger US based mobile carriers T-Mobile and Sprint to operate as an MVNO, is now apparently in talks with Three UK owner Hutchison Whampoa to allow users the ability to roam on the network internationally when in the region and within coverage range of the Three UK cell towers, according to The Telegraph who first reported on the story. What’s more is that the alleged discussion going on between both companies is for the plan to have such a feature available to US consumers on the would be Google cell plans to use their services without paying anything extra, which would certainly do well for any consumers who frequently travel or travel enough, potentially saving people quite a bit of money in international roaming fees.
Three UK, who also envisions doing away with roaming fees for its own subscribers is pegged as a perfect match for Google, not only because they supposedly share a similar view on the idea of offering free roaming phone services to customers who need them abroad, but also because Three’s parent company operates in more regions besides the UK, which could open up more opportunity and reach for Google’s own mobile network, allowing customer to potentially use roaming for free anywhere Hutchison Whampoa operates mobile networks which includes places like Italy , Sweden, Denmark and Ireland, as well as other regions including Hutchison’s home base of operations in Hong Kong.
Although offering free international roaming to its customers when Google’s network is up and running is certainly not something that should be considered small scale, (which is how Google would have everyone believe things to be) Google apparently has no plans to offer their services in the UK or other regions. In the same way that Google would be offering consumers free international roaming on networks operated by Hutchison though, Hutchison could offer free roaming to their customers when abroad in the US and within range of Google’s network operated towers. Whether that ends up part of the deal, if there is one in the works, is unclear. At the moment, neither Google nor Three UK have made any comments or claims on the matter.