Google and more than fifty other leading mobile companies have announced the Open Handset Alliance that will develop a new mobile operating system known as Android. The entrance of Google into the mobile industry and the arrival of what appears to be the beginnings of a powerful operating system have the possibility of revolutionisng the mobile industry and changing the balance of power currently existing.

Here are some quick facts that we’ve been able to pick up thus far.

1. Has Google announced a phone?

a. No, Google is not making a phone, at least not now. What it has done is to announce a mobile operating system that will be open and available to any developer. Handset manufacturers can use the new Linux based Android OS and build new mobile phones. Telcos can use its capabilities to launch new services and mobile developers can build new applications.

2. Who are the big names that have joined the alliance?

a. The big handset manufacturers are Samsung, Motorola, LG and HTC. Intel and Qualcomm have also joined. Among the big telcos are T-Mobile, China Mobile and NTT Docomo.

3. Which big names have not?

a. Nokia has not joined and so hasn’t Sony Ericsson. These companies are the biggest supporters of the Symbian OS. Microsoft and Apple have also not signed on.

4. Which operating systems will Android challenge in the mobile industry?

a. Android will go head to head with Symbian, Windows Mobile 6, Apple mobile OS and Blackberry. There are other operating systems including mobile Linux OS but the earlier named ones are the big ones.

5. Does this mean that I will soon be able to make free calls?

a. Not likely but VoIP will probably be strong on the Android phone and there is a strong possibility that call costs will be lower over time.

6. What else will be different?

a. Expect a killer web browser, a good search engine, instant messaging that works smoothly on phones and friendly social networking applications. Also expect to see new things as this is likely to lead to new innovations.

7. When will I be able to buy an Android based mobile phone?

a. The Alliance says phones should be available late next year. Given the nature of open source developments, don’t be surprised if they come even earlier.

And finally, we can’t give you any facts yet but we’re sure you want to know what this means for telcos in our country. Well, it’s hard to say for sure at this early stage since spectrum is tightly controlled in our country but the arrival of Android will bring a fundamental change to the way people use phones. This can shake up the industry. There is a strong possibility that users will be to access cool mobile applications without going through the telcos which will mean lower revenue for them.