This is excellent!
I would love to see your pitch if you can share.
If not I will post some of my thoughts and perhaps you can help vet them...
The objective is to provide a wireless data ecosystem that will optimize private and public spectrum usage through supply and demand based competition.
First I wanted to identify the players:
Wired Provider - brings data over a physical line to the wireless tower, sells data to the carrier.
Carrier - leases spectrum, controls wireless tower, sells data to card seller, buys data from wired provider.
Data Card Seller - sells data to customer, buys data from carrier.
Device manufacturer - creates devices for tower and mobile usage
Customer - buys device, buys data card.
Physical Specs:
Wired Provider - Fiber, coax, copper lines for data transfer to the carrier tower.
Carrier - Wireless Tower with wireless transceiver (LTE/WiFi)
Data Card Seller - nothing, ideally all virtual
Device Manufacturer - LTE/WiFi tower and mobile device creation
Consumer - LTE/WiFi device usage
Monetary Transaction Specs:
Spectrum Acquisition - the Carrier secures a spectrum license for a given region from the FCC
Tower Deployment - the Carrier secures physical real estate from a land/building owner, wireless transceiver equipment from a Device Manufacturer , electrical power service from a local utility or the land/building owner, and wired data service from a Wired Provider.
Mobile Device Acquisition - the Consumer purchases a mobile device from the Device Manufacturer or a distributor.
Data Card Acquisition - the Consumer purchases a Data Card from the Data Card Seller.
Data Payment - The Data Card Seller pays the Carrier for the Consumers data usage.
Connection Transaction Specs:
The Consumer device scans for available wireless providers.
Both WiFi and LTE/GSM specs provide Access Point (AP) Names.
Ideally the APN would indicate not only the provider but the current rate being charged for data by the AP.
The Consumer device then requests connectivity to an AP.
The AP provides limited access that will allow for the Consumer device to relay the credentials provided by the Data Card Seller.
Upon authentication with the Data Card Seller, the Carrier provides service based on the Consumers available balance, perhaps reserving chunks of data balance with the Data Card Seller.
The Consumer device is allowed to freely use data, the Carrier will then notify the Data Card Seller of the usage; the Consumers account balance will be decreased accordingly.
When the Consumer disconnects from the AP the remaining unused reserved balance will be released back to the Consumer account with the Data Card Seller.
Technical Issues:
Assuming an unlocked GSM/LTE/WiFi device, no SIM card, can a Carrier tower be configured to accept connections from the said device and provide more than emergency service?
What would be the issues, security and otherwise to such a connection?
Google with Android would be the ideal candidate to push this.
If smaller carriers adopted this they could compete with the likes of AT&T and Verizon.
Of course the big carriers will hate this, but once it gets enough traction they will have no choice but to fall in line.
I am sure I am over simplifying this in my mind, my knowledge of the industry is only as an outsider, customer, mobile developer at best.
I look forward to discuss this further!