There was one particular analyst that seemed unimpressed by the whopper Verizon Wireless laid on the industry today. If you haven’t heard, VZW is taking its network down the open-access path, making it accessible to any device and any application that meets basic network connectivity guidelines. While analysts near and far wore their fingertips to nubs typing about the broad implications of VZW’s move, ThinkEquity basically said, “What’s the big deal?”

In a research note today, ThinkEquity analysts Anton Wahlman and Eric Kainer said: “Our takeaway from the Verizon conference call about the ‘any apps, any device’ announcement is that, while this is obviously a step in the right direction, it is much ado about nothing. We did not hear anything in this announcement that said anything except that Verizon's CDMA network should start to function (almost) like GSM networks have done from the beginning, in 1992. We find this announcement at the same time hysterical, and also a testimony to Verizon's PR machine that this is somehow a big deal for the industry.”

Ouch, harsh. And that ‘harsh’ is from a guy who regularly gets on VZW’s case for its data network antics. I see ThinkEquity’s point: AT&T and T-Mobile -- like all GSM carriers -- use SIM cards to manage the subscriptions of their customers. You can take a SIM card out of one phone, stick it into another, and Holy Cow!, you have an open network supporting any device. Simple, eh?

Well, I’ll have to differ with the fine folks at Think this time. A GSM network is not the same thing as an open network. Yes, the GSM standard allows interoperability between any certified GSM device and network. However, openness is not just at the network level but also at the services level. I agree AT&T and T-Mobile are more open than most, but they are still essentially selling you a package of services -- voice, messaging and data. They’re charging for those services accordingly, regardless of who sold you the phone, and making you sign a contract to boot.

Sure, there are ways around it. You can take an unlocked and unrestricted Nokia N95 or other smartphone, insert an AT&T SIM card and get unfettered access to the Internet, e-mail and even tethered modem functions, but you’re essentially sneaking around AT&T’s guard, grabbing services for free that AT&T would have every intention of charging you for. Likewise you can choose not to use the MEdiaNet and T-Zone’s portal functions on your device, but you’re still paying for them.

What Verizon Wireless is offering -- or what they claim they will offer, at least -- is unfettered access to the Internet. They’re offering a connection without a service, and then they’re wiping their hands of any responsibility as you roam where you will and download what you choose. Instead of hiding the open-access aspects of their network, they imply they’ll be promoting it. In fact, they’re encouraging the device community to have at its network -- the gates are wide open. This from Verizon Wireless, I admit, is shocking.

But it’s not unprecedented. It sounds a lot like what Barry West has been preaching for Sprint’s Xohm. And now that Sprint’s new network plans are starting to buckle, Verizon Wireless may have taken up the standard for the open network, and it’s doing it not with some new-fangled 4G network, but with plain old 3G.

Of course, there are still reasons to be skeptical. VZW CEO Lowell McAdam and Verizon CTO Dick Lynch swore up and down their certification platform would be testing only for minimal connectivity requirements, but it’s easy to see how such a certification could be used to block access to VoIP or even restrict access to certain network functions Verizon makes good money on. It will be interesting to see what comes of this developers conference VZW is planning for the first quarter. For now, I’m willing to take Verizon at face value. They’re promising to deliver unfettered connectivity, and I laud them for their decision.

Contact me at kfitchard@telephonyonline.com.