Google has filed a patent for connecting phones to a multiplicity of providers (seen on Techcrunch) and letting those phones then negotiate automatically for the best rate in real time. Picture below:

Google’s Patent Diagram

Great idea as a business to execute, and Planet Mobile badly needs someone to play the “Microsoft” role to create a a unifying “mobile OS” and ecosystem, as none of the current incumbents have shown any will or leadership. For “Mobile Web 2.0″ or similar to break out, this is a pre-requisite.

But I’d be astounded if they actually get a patent – the amount of prior art in this space must be huge, I have seen these sorts of diagrams and ideas for price negotiation for going on 10 years – and a lot of it within those Telcos themselves. Google must know this, so either the US patenting process is near valueless, or they are making a point.

Still, this should really rattle the cage of the Planet Mobile oligopoly. I guess its sad that it will be replaced by a Google Monopoly, but it seems clear that no one else has the cojones – or cash? – to step up to the mark.

Except Microsoft – given their tenacious defence of their interests in so many other spheres, its interesting that their approach to mobile has been to play within the industry rather than impose a solution. After all, mobile is the next frontier for the OS as well as the browser.

Maybe this will set the Microhares running…..