The Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization best known for its highly regarded Firefox web browser, is looking to take some large steps into the mobile Internet. Three weeks ago the group launched a substantial upgrade to its Android browser, making Firefox a more stable and speedy option for users of the Google-owned operating system.  The browser falls well within the open source and open Web standards those familiar with the company would expect, but Mozilla’s latest project may come as a surprise.

Partnering with mobile device manufacturers TCL Communication Technology and ZTE, Mozilla is setting its sights on creating its own smartphone operating system. Firefox OS will be based around HTML 5 (the latest standard of computing language through which web browsers display pages and content) and designed entirely to open web standards, allowing app developers to take full advantage of any and all capabilities the OS and its corresponding hardware have to offer. Mozilla hopes that this unimpeded access will provide a robust mobile experience for its future users, even with lower priced handsets.

Support for the project has already been received from several telecommunications companies, including Sprint, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor.  The first Firefox phones are expected to launch in Brazil sometime in 2013. No indication of when the project will reach American shores has been given yet.

 

Do you use Mozilla’s Firefox browser? Are you a fan of smartphones? Leave a comment below or tell us about it on the Long Island Lounge.