Telecoms get behind Firefox smartphone platform

A new operating system for mobile phones akin to the Mozilla Firefox Internet browser has gotten the backing of several major telecom companies, turning up the heat on Google and Apple in the smartphone market.

Mozilla said Monday that mobile network operators Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telenor and Etisalat are backing the Firefox platform.

The non-profit that evolved from Netscape after the browser wars 14 years ago, said phone makers ZTE and TCL communication Technology will roll out the first Firefox OS phones using Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors in early 2013.