Based in no small part to the comments posted on blogs everywhere, including yours truly that have followed the news Deutsche Telekom might IPO or possibly spinoff its US division. Interestingly enough, readers on almost every blog/news outlet that posted this article are tossing around the notion that Google should consider purchasing T-Mobile. Google, having released its Nexus One and having expanded its Google Voice offering is clearly interested in the telecom industry. However, is Google a suitor T-Mobile would even consider? Should consider? More importantly, would the government allow it? Google has its fair share of detractors regarding its size, privacy issues and its sudden expansion into almost everything internet related. Nevertheless, let us be honest for a minute, Google is not thinking about today or tomorrow, they are thinking about tomorrow a year from now, especially in respect to technology and their investments. I cannot even pretend to know what sort of huge undertaking this would be if such a deal were to piece itself together. For the record, this is complete speculation, there are no hints whatsoever that T-Mobile is actually for sale or that Google has even heard of yesterdays Wall Street Journal report.

I bring this up, not just because of the comments I have read but also because of a Gerson Lehrman Group, report that says it makes sense for Google to buy T-Mobile. However, it is thin on information and even thinner on reasons why…but the fact that the article was written shows that people are starting to think of what a T-Mobile sale could look like.  I mean let us just placate these rumors for a moment. Imagine Google suddenly has 33 million Google Voice customers. What is to stop them from giving away their phones ad-supported? Would people really go for phones that are free, but inundated with ads every time they make a phone call, or go to browse the web. Free sounds great in theory, but there is a price for that freedom and speaking frankly, I’d MUCH rather pay for a phone and not deal with ads than receive something for free than view an ad for a watch company every time I go to browse the web.

Therefore, for the moment, this is all rumor, speculation and a little fantasy. I do not want to see T-Mobile go by the wayside and I do not think any of our dear readers do either. That being said, if the wheels are turning somewhere, Google might be using their bright minds and wondering if this is a chance to begin their global takeover.

What say you?

Gerson-Lehrman