Verizon’s decision to give customers the option of connecting to its network through outside devices is, to say the least, a departure from its past views on open-access rules.

Essentially, Verizon’s new open-access option gives its customers the ability to connect to their network without using only a Verizon phone. In theory, open-access networks will let consumers and businesses switch carriers without having to purchase a new set of devices. Verizon’s decision to open up its network is another step toward separating carriers’ services from the devices they offer.

Traditionally, Verizon has been an opponent of open-access rules for wireless carriers. It sued the FCC earlier this year because it was displeased with the commission’s open-access requirements for about a third of the 62MHz of spectrum in the 700MHz band scheduled to be auctioned in January. But even though Verizon eventually dropped this suit, the company gave little indication that it would begin embracing open-access networks anytime in the near future.

But Verizon spokeswoman Nancy Stark says the company has been thinking about opening its network for quite some time, and it is still weighing whether it will join the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), a multinational group dedicated to promoting Google’s Android platform and open access to networks. According to Stark, the company sees that a “small but growing” number of customers want to connect to Verizon’s network without having to use a Verizon device. She adds that the company’s decision was not a reaction to rival carriers Sprint and T-Mobile joining the OHA. Verizon’s new open-access option, she says, is simply “an opportunity for growth and for meeting customer needs.”

Others, however, are more skeptical. Mike Jude, a senior analyst at Nemertes Research, says Verizon is smart enough to see which way the winds are blowing and is changing accordingly. In particular, he thinks the FCC’s decision to promote open access in a portion of the 700MHz auction and Google’s open Android platform were key factors in Verizon’s decision.