Verizon Wireless: Yes, we are opening up our network - really.

By the end of 2008, says spokesperson Jim Gerace, any CDMA-compliant phone will work with the Verizon Wireless network without modification.

Verizon Wireless' Any Apps, Any Device announcement, which came today, is somewhat less clear on this point. It states that the carrier "will provide customers the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network, wireless devices, software and applications not offered by the company."

It goes on to say that:

"In early 2008, the company will publish the technical standards the development community will need to design products to interface with the Verizon Wireless network. Any device that meets the minimum technical standard will be activated on the network. Devices will be tested and approved in a $20 million state-of-the-art testing lab which received an additional investment this year to gear up for the anticipated new demand. Any application the customer chooses will be allowed on these devices."

That doesn't exactly sound like open access so I asked Verizon Wireless for clarification. Here's the response from Gerace:

Q: Are you opening up your network to unlocked phones? That is, does this mean that any CDMA-enabled cell phone/device will work or are there other requirements?

A: Yes, but in addition let's remember that some devices that come to us may not necessarily be "phones".

Q: What are the "minimum technical standards" to which the press release refers?

A: The standards will be published in early 1Q 2008. What we are referring to though is connectivity to the network standards.

Q: Will the technical standards be based on proprietary APIs or open Web-based standards? Will devices and applications have to be specially modified in hardware / software to work over the Verizon Wireless network?

A: As in the previous answer, the standards that will have to be met to connect are just that the device will work on our network standard of CDMA (and future technologies) and operate on our frequencies -- 800 and 1900 MHz. The operating system and software applications are not our concern.

Read the full Computerworld news story here.