Companies planning to bid on 700 Mhz wireless spectrum at federal auction in January need to confirm their intentions by the end of the day today, and the biggest question already has been answered. Google said it will bid in the auction, and if it wins spectrum, its new status as a wireless carrier could present a serious competitive threat to the wireless operations of major telcos.
Still, there's some question as to whether Google is serious. Some believe the company may bid just to assure that the big wireless carriers follow through on their promise to provide open access to their networks. Yet, even if Google doesn't really want to be a wireless carrier, can it bid half-heartedly, let the telcos win, and still save face competitively? Maybe saving face isn't all that important when you already could afford to buy the entire planet.
For more:
- read this report from Bloomberg.com
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