Google unveils plan to offer wireless services in the US

Google Inc unveiled plans to offer US mobile-phone service and said it will launch solar-powered planes to provide wireless internet service in the world's unconnected areas in the next few months.

"We're working hard to create a backbone to provide connectivity," Senior Vice-President Sundar Pichai said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Building on the success of its Android operating system, selling its own wireless service could enable Google to add mobile-device subscribers and make it easier to serve those users ads via smartphones and tablets.

Google also is working with mobile carriers to "push the boundaries" of data services in the US, Pichai said Monday at a session hosted by Bloomberg's Brad Stone.

The initiative will be on a small scale, Pichai said, comparing it to Google's fibre broadband project. Sprint Corp is among the carriers that have network-sharing agreements with companies that sell service under their own brand name.

Pichai also said Google is working on a service to compete with new payment platforms from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co. The new Android Pay service will enable other companies to tap into the software platform to help make buying items simpler on smartphones and tablets.

The solar-plane project, called Project Titan, follows Project Loon, a system of high-altitude balloons that carry wireless antennas; and Project Link, another initiative to help bring internet connections to some of the 4 billion people globally who don't have access, Pichai said. "It's the kind of approach we've always done at Google, enabling platforms to make a big difference in people's lives," Pichai said. The annual Mobile World Congress is the largest telecommunications trade show.

Google's push for global connectivity will involve carriers including Vodafone Group Plc and Telefonica SA, he said.

The Mountain View, California-based company is investing more in mobile software and services as consumers increasingly access the Internet and digital features through wireless devices. Android dominates the smartphone industry, with more than 75 per cent of the market, according to researcher IDC.

Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page last year gave Pichai most of the product leadership at the company. Pichai now oversees Amit Singhal, who runs the search operation, and Sridhar Ramaswamy, who leads ads and commerce.

While Google remains the largest online advertising company, it is coming under more pressure to accelerate growth as it grapples with more competition from Apple, Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc.

Google's fourth-quarter revenue was $14.5 billion excluding sales passed onto partners, missing analysts' average projection.

Google said Dave Besbris is stepping down as leader of the company's Google+ social network. Bradley Horowitz, a longtime vice-president of product management, is taking over the operation. Under the new structure, photos and social-stream features are set to be treated more separately, Pichai said.
GIANT PLANS

• Wireless service could enable Google to gain more mobile-device users to help sell mobile ads
• In the next few months, under its project Titan, Google will start flying solar-powered planes to serve as wireless towers in areas without mobile internet coverage
• Google is also working on Android Pay to compete with new payment platforms from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics
• Google is investing more in mobile software, services as consumers increasingly access the internet and digital features via wireless devices
• Google's push for global connectivity will involve carriers including Vodafone and Telefonica