I really like the "cell phone that connects to multiple networks" idea. Not just for the ability to make the cheapest call, but for the ability to make a call from anywhere that has reception from any provider.
I wonder if that could pave the way for boutique carriers that provide connectivity in hard-to-reach spots (say, the bottom story of a parking garage). The building owner could potentially take a cut on the phone fees the same way that building owners extract a fee from ATMs on their property.
It's called "roaming", and most modern phones support it. The "cheapest tower wins" roaming described in the article would be difficult to achieve because of the massive web of contracts required. Not to mention the terrible user experience -- most users DON'T want the cheapest possible connection, they want the one that won't drop their calls.
BTW that depends on who you consider users. It isn't relevant in the US but in many other countries a lot of users prefer dual SIM devices. The reason is usually precisely because of connection costs - which SIM to use is picked on a call by call basis.
It is hard to find current dropped call statistics but the random bits from random dates do show the US being worse off (~5+% versus < 2%).
I always lose my data connection because of this. I then have to go into options and select my network manually. Seems like if I do that it connects me to a stronger connection.
I have heard that they are working on phones with 4 SIMS as well (in Brasil, where you can get one kind of connection in one village, and another kind in the next, and no roaming).
Agree that would be cool, but I don't think it has anything to do with this test network. Technology Review's speculation based on an old patent is IMHO wishful thinking.
I wonder if that could pave the way for boutique carriers that provide connectivity in hard-to-reach spots (say, the bottom story of a parking garage). The building owner could potentially take a cut on the phone fees the same way that building owners extract a fee from ATMs on their property.