You've got to give Verizon credit for one thing -- calling the bluff of those who would say they're not open. The reality is -- how many people or companies are actually in a position to manufacture a device to take advantage of Verizon's new openness in a way that could compete with the subsidized models?

If you're a major phone manufacturer, chances are you already have some kind of deal with Verizon so the argument is moot. If you're some device startup, given the costs (and time) to bring a new device to market, why would you even consider launching something new without some guaranteed buy-in from one major service provider? How could you price it without a subsidy to compete with a $49 BlackBerry?

And even if a new device or application made it past the Verizon testing, there is the whole question of pricing and service plans to consider, like data caps that might effectively "block" the use of say, streaming video, by making it too expensive to be competitive. I would say any measurement of open has to look at the plans, pricing and data limits and not just whether the device or app is allowed on the network. Because the latter part is easy, and it's what Verizon will tout as "open" until someone calls their bluff.