Jobs wanted own network for iPhone

Late Apple co-founder wanted an iPhone exclusive network based on Wi-Fi spectrum, according to a former business partner.

Speaking at a Law seminar in Seattle, wireless industry figure John Stanton said that Steve Jobs was keen to avoid working with mobile carriers.

The fact that Apple’s late co-founder wanted a proprietary network exclusively for the firm’s debut in the smartphone market probably wont come as a surprise to anyone. However Stanton said that Jobs "wanted to replace carriers," and that the pair had extensively discussed the possibility of creating a new carrier based on Wi-Fi spectrum.

By 2007 Jobs had apparently given up on the ‘Apple net’ concept and, one imagines, grudgingly decided to use existing mobile phone standards. It’s not clear how much Jobs was motivated by avoiding powerful mobile networks or if he thought there would be some benefit in the scheme.

There’s little doubt that the release of the iPhone did much to irreversibly alter the balance of power between mobile carriers and smartphone platform holders.