Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed the company’s intention to pursue its interests in the upcoming auction set by the FCC for the wireless spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
Google’s bid is conditioned by the acceptance of a framework which the Mountain View behemoth has long lobbied for, aimed at ensuring “greater competition and consumer choice”.
The Internet search giant urged the Commission to accept and implement rules for the auction which should benefit consumers’ interest first, no matter what company wins.
Specifically, Google encouraged the FCC to require the adoption of four types of "open" platforms as part of the license conditions: open applications (no restrictions should be imposed to downloading and using any software applications, content, or services), open devices (consumers should be able to freely switch with their handheld communications device between any wireless network available), open services (third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms) and open networks (third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms).
Should the Commission approve Google’s requests, the company would ready at least $4.6 for the auction.
In the end, the FCC approved the creation of networks that can work with any device (consumers will have the freedom to attach any device and any application to a 22-MHz section of the band), but refused to comply with the so-called "wholesale condition," (condition no. 3 in the aforementioned list).
According to Ben Scott, policy director for Free Press, a group that joined Google’s camp, this condition was highly critical because of the competition-opportunities it offered, similar to the ones found in the ’90 for the dial-up Internet connections, when users had a plethora of ISPs to choose from.
After the FCC refusal, Google said, through the voice of Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, that "Under the current circumstances, we are going to need some time to carefully study the actual text of the FCC rules, which are due out in a few weeks, before we make any decision about our possible role in the auction."
However, the Mountain View bid for the 700MHz band is still possible, according to CEO Eric Schmidt. Delivering the keynote speech at a conference in Aspen, Colo., sponsored by a think tank called The Progress and Freedom Foundation, Schmidt said that we’ll “probably” see Google among the competitors.
"It's highly likely that when we get to that point, we will see the regulatory framework that is conducive to the bid (we wanted) to make,” Cnet reports.
