More Verizon talk from the NYTimes

People want this Verizon thing to happen so badly that the story just won’t die.  Today, it is the NYTimes’ turn.

We’re not sure if the NYTimes understands the complexity involved in building a CDMA iPhone.  We can’t exactly tell the time frame of this statement but they seem to think Verizon’s CEO can waltz into Cupertino with a wad of cash and get the iPhone. 

So expect Mr. Seidenberg to come to Cupertino, checkbook in hand, to see what sort of deal he can make.

All things being equal, Apple has a modest incentive to expand the distribution of the iPhone as much as possible. The greatest number of users means the greatest number of customers for its iPhone Apps store. Moreover, the iPhone brings new people into the Apple ecosystem and makes them more likely to buy a Mac, an Apple TV or an iPod.

If they mean in 2011 when the LTE rollouts will start to pick up steam, perhaps.  Probably even. But for the next two years, it would seem Verizon is out of the picture.

Here’s our little suggestion: Apple creates a CDMA data iPod Touch.  Limited run, maybe 1 million units.  Allow Verizon and Sprint to sell it on their network with Data-only plan.  $60/month, reasonable data caps with tethering.  With Skype/Vonage/Truphone or whatever for voice.  Verizon and Sprint could even create their own little VoIP app upsell if they wanted to try to compete. 

We’d jump on board in a heartbeat.

Will never happen of course.  Verizon’s open access plan was never meant to be that open.