Originally Google asked that the spectrum not be sold, but be bid on a per-conection basis by smart radios that get bids from providers for the lowest cost for each connection. (In Europe, you can choose your GSM provider for calls and there are lots of them, but it isn't automated like that.) The FCC said that if bidding reached $4.6 billion (I.e., Google's stated amount they might bid) that the two requirements for open access and open software platform would hold, but not if the price was too low.
73, Leigh/WA5ZNU On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 4:22 am, Andrew O'Brien wrote: > Google has announced it is in the running for a slice of the US > airwaves that would allow it to launch a nationwide wireless internet > network. > > Part of the spectrum, called the C Block, is being sold by the US > Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an auction starting at > $4.6bn (£2.2bn). > > The planned transition to digital TV services in the US has freed up > the wireless capacity. > > The C Block radio waves will be free from early 2009. > > Google hopes that the new network capacity will allow it to compete > directly with existing mobile communications companies. > > At the moment, most mobile phone companies force users to use > particular software to operate their handsets. > > The FCC has specified that whoever wins the auction must use it to > allow users to operate whatever software they want. > > Google recently announced plans to develop software for mobile phones. > > Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive, promised that whoever wins the > auction US consumers would "see more choices than ever before in how > they access the Internet". > > The C Block is in the 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum. > > > > -- > Andy K3UK > www.obriensweb.com > (QSL via N2RJ) > > > Announce your digital presence via our Interactive Sked Page at > http://www.obriensweb.com/drsked/drsked.php > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
