The biggest and most important name in the internet world, Google, is making a bid for its next huge advancement on the information highway. The US Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) is selling off C Block – a chunk of the US airwaves which will be freed up by early 2009 due to the upcoming transition to digital TV. The FCC must be keen for Google to win the auction as they have modified some of their auction ground rules to accommodate Google.
This will be good news for mobile phone users. Most are forced into using particular software by the mobile phone companies but the FCC are insisting that the sale of C Block, with the auction due to take place in January 2008, is dependent on the auction winner allowing mobile phone users to utilise any software they want.
Google has plans of its own for developing software for mobile phones and Chief Executive Eric Schmidt promises that mobile phone users will have more choice than ever as to how they access the internet. Rumour has it that Google are willing to put up $5 billion for the airwaves and have erected femtocell towers but there is no proof of this and Google are keeping their cards close to their chest on this one.
An alternative option for Google if they win the auction is to lease the airwaves to Sprint, a leading US mobile phone provider. However, Sprint are dedicated to the WiMax data network project, the technology inside Intels Spring 2008 laptops which would conflict with Google 700 MHz. This is probably not a concern for Google as they are expected to keep this slice of the airwaves for themselves.
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