How Google wants to change telecom

Google says it doesn't want to be your Internet service provider; rather, it wants to make your ISP behave in a more Google-friendly manner. This is why, over the past several years, the Internet search giant has used its financial clout and the strength of its brand to make regular forays into the telecommunications industry. From lobbying for network neutrality legislation to developing its own mobile phone and operating system to creating an experimental high-speed broadband network, Google hasn't been shy about throwing its weight around on the carriers' turf. And what does Google want from all this? Essentially it wants to give carriers less control over what they can and cannot do with their networks.

This article takes a look at Google's major telecom initiatives -- Network Neutrality, Android and the Google nexus One, experimental broadband network(s) -- while breaking down their overarching goals and the level of success they have achieved.