Forget local number portability in regards to having (or caring) to to try and move your number. GoogleVoice gives you one number “for life.” I have everything from office, home, and 3 other mobiles I freely “swap” between taken care of from GoogleVoice. Another bonus — I’ve altogether stopped caring about when I am “eligible” to upgrade devices. Why? I have my single GoogleVoice number. I can open another new acct with any wireless carrier I choose without having to notify every contact to change my number. To me, that is the “hidden” highlight. GoogleVoice makes it completely transparent. Want to upgrade to an iPhone 3GS but not eligible? No worries. New acct and use GV for my “primary” number and service. THAT alone makes GV a goldmine, in my opinion.

Sure, I may have to cancel one line (or go through a transfer of service to avoid a penalty) if I choose to completely drop a line on my acct — but the fact is I have that ability (freedom!) to make that determination at my own whim — not a 2yr date set by the carrier.

Given that Google has bought spectrum, and are slowly but surely opening GV to the public, I believe we are all in for a very exciting time. Coupled with Google’s Wave and other unified communications-type services, Google may successfully win the “sneak attack” on modern telecommunications services (emphasis on services, and not the actual network).

Consumers get freedom and transparency (GV to fwd your number to any line you wish, without impacting your friends, family, clients, or colleagues with “multiple number syndrome”). It may not be “flashy” but GV is huge — and the most beneficial “apps” / services I utilize on a daily basis.

Om Malik published another great piece on GV today, that really helps drive home all these updates we are seeing – http://gigaom.com/2009/07/14/meet-google-your-phone-company/. I completely agree that the GV aplication(in his words) “reduces the cell phone carrier to a dumb pipe.”