Why is the possible (contingent) $4.6+ Billion Google bid on an “open wireless” spectrum important?
Most people have really not been following what has going on between the FCC, the telecoms and Google. So it is easy to ignore the news about Google’s interest in bidding on the FCC spectrum auction.
What is interesting about the bid is that Google is attaching a condition about “openess.” For example allowing any applications or devices to be used on the network by bidders.
Currently, for example, wireless companies typically may not allow one to install Skype. (Skype offers voice over IP or cheap/free calling over the Internet.)
So it does not take too much imagination to see that any requirement for “openness” could have some interesting consequences for the future of wireless.
This detail and more about this interesting topic can be found on this salon article by Farhad Manjoo.
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