In the future, roaming fees may a thing of the past, if Google has anything to do with it.
Word has it the Web giant is looking to create a global network that would allow Americans to use their phones internationally at no extra cost. This means you'd be able to make calls when you're out of the country without incurring costly roaming fees.
Industry sources confirmed to the Telegraph that Google is discussing a possible partnership with Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of international mobile operator Three, to enable this new network. By partnering with Hutchison, Google may be able to gain wholesale access to the carrier's networks in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, and several other countries, the report notes.
"Sources said Hutchison was a natural partner for Google in the plan, because it has also sought to eliminate roaming charges for Three customers," the Telegraph reported. Google is not planning to offer service to British users at this time as European regulators are already taking steps to ban roaming fees.
The rumor comes after Google early last month confirmed that it is exploring the option of offering a wireless service. During a keynote at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sundar Pichai, Google's SVP of Android, Chrome, and Google Apps, said the company is looking into offering wireless service as a way to push Android forward.
"I think we're at the stage where we need to think of hardware, software, and connectivity together," Pichai said.
But don't expect Google to go head to head with the likes of Verizon and AT&T — at least not yet. The company described this as a "small scale" concept, and promised more details in the next few months.
Prior to Pichai's appearance, reports suggested that Google might rely largely on Wi-Fi networks and then switch to available cellular networks when necessary, possibly those owned by T-Mobile or Sprint.
In 2013, T-Mobile said it would drop international data and text roaming charges in more than 100 countries, allowing U.S. customers to update Facebook, check Google Maps, or send an email while traveling without incurring a massive roaming bill.