When the FCC announced it would auction off a chunk of the 700MHz wireless spectrum—useful for its powerful signal and ability to pass through walls—Google pledged to bid at least $4.6 billion for it if four open-access standards for the spectrum were met. Of Google’s conditions— open networks, open applications, open devices, open services— the FCC has adopted just the latter two, which will give users greater freedom in choosing hardware and software. But the winner of the auction will not be required to allow spectrum access to its competitors, which Google views as essential to ensuring that “customers, along with service providers of all shapes and sizes, will have a seat at the table.” According to Google’s Adam Kovacevich, the search provider is “currently evaluating the FCC auction rules and [has] not made any decisions about participating in the auction.”
