It’s no surprise that Google was considering a bid in the FCC’s upcoming auction for the 700MHz spectrum. Now Google is saying that if the FCC allows the auction to proceed with open-access requirements, it will bid. The company has at least $4.6 billion available to play with for the auction, so things could get quite interesting.
Google recently sent a letter to the FCC’s chairman, asking for the the auction’s benefits of open applications, devices, networks, and services to be made available to the public. Could Google be gearing up to compete with major telecom providers? Quite possibly.
Google Intent to Bid In FCC 700 MHz Auction [Phone Scoop]
I can already picture it in 2009, we will all be walking around with our $100 Laptops connected on Google’s 700mhz WiMax open access network, streaming HD movies in the park. The deployment will happen using the FON approach, which Google has invested in, everyone will get WiMax routers and broadcast a WiMAX signal onto the streets using their home Fiber broadband bandwidth connections.