Amazon: Testing proprietary wireless network

U.S. online retailer Amazon is reported to have tested a proprietary wireless network that would allow customers to connect its devices to the Internet. The wireless network was tested in Cupertino, Calif., using spectrum owned by satellite communications company Globalstar Inc., Bloomberg reported Friday, citing sources who asked not to be identified because the test was private. The test is seen as part of Amazon's intention of being more than just a Web destination and offering a total user experience, including how consumers would get online and what devices they would use to do so. Amazon's Kindle tablets and e-book readers have built-in wireless connectivity, and the company sells apps for mobile devices. A proprietary wireless network would also improve Amazon's position as a content provider, one analyst said. "Given that Amazon's becoming a big player in video, they could look into investing into forms of connectivity," independent wireless analyst Chetan Sharma said. Neither Amazon nor Globalstar would comment on the tests, Bloomberg said.