Today the FCC will begin auctioning off 700Mhz spectrum. The FCC has set a minimum price of $10 billion for five blocks of licenses, though it's expected that Uncle Sam will make considerably more by the time the several-day process is over. Users with nothing better to do can track the auction progress to some degree at this FCC website (Auction 73). FCC boss Kevin Martin explains to the NY Times why you should probably be excited:
quote:"The spectrum that we are auctioning off is going to be the building blocks for the next generation of broadband services," said Kevin J. Martin, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in an interview last Friday. "It can carry lots of data, penetrates walls easily, travels far and allows for very good broadband wireless service. It will allow a wireless platform to be another competitor in the broadband space."
While Google is the big name entrant in the auction, many people don't expect them to actually win. If they do win, the general consensus is that they'll have someone else build the network:
quote:"They're as serious as anybody," said Mark Gibson, senior director of operations at spectrum consultancy Comsearch, in a telephone interview. "Most of us don't believe they'll build the network themselves; they'll partner with a provider who's not participating, such as T-Mobile."
While much has been made about Google's effort to get open-access (Carterfone) conditions attached to the spectrum, the conditions have enough loopholes to render them largely meaningless with a clever enough attorney. The provisions could also be dropped if the FCC doesn't get its asking price for the spectrum. The biggest winners this week will most likely be AT&T & Verizon, though surprises could happen.
I know people are expecting them to bet to lose, but I think it would be very good if Google won. A lot of those other companies have grown big enough and I'd like to see (what some still think as the under dog) come out on time.
Google is like any other company, which wants to make money. But I find it very often that Google does it in a way that really does make the customer (or user) feel they're gaining something as well. ATT and others just have that feeling of; "Our logo now owns it, pay up big for less." Google doesn't leave me feeling that way (yet).
Besides that, what other company do you know is always trying to push new things out at such a fast rate. Another company would buy the 700Mhz to use it for 1 or maybe 2 thing and they'd maybe advance those things in time. I can see Google finding away to use it for much more and advancing it in high pace manner.
If we're giving up our 700Mhz, I'd like to see it go to good and fair use.