Google: Verizon Watering Down 700Mhz RulesFCC's Martin apparently bending to VZ lobbyists...
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old news - 09:13AM Thursday Oct 04 2007)
tags: competition · fcc · business · wireless · Verizon Wireless BroadbandGoogle and Verizon continue to squabble over the upcoming auction of 700Mhz spectrum, which could be used to provide a third inexpensive broadband option (but if you're betting at home, probably won't). Last month, the FCC released their auction rules for spectrum buyers, though the language contains
intentional loopholes, allowing said rules to be wiggled around or through.
Still, the slim risk that they might have to adhere to any pro-consumer carterfone guidelines is too big a risk for Verizon lawyers, who have
sued the FCC over the rules. Reports last week
also suggest that Verizon already has Martin watering down the language even further. Google, who says Verizon is violating FCC rules,
is annoyed:
Verizon appears to be arguing that two of the key provisions in the auction rules designed to spur competition — the requirements for open devices and open applications — should not apply to a licensee’s own devices that use this block of 700 MHz spectrum. Their theory is that so long as “unlocked” devices (those that can be configured to work with any network) are theoretically available to consumers through other means, the winning bidder in the auction shouldn’t be required to make its devices open as well. From our perspective, this view ignores the realities of the U.S. wireless market, where some 95 percent of handsets are sold in retail stores run by the large carriers.
This comes a day after the GAO issued a report
slamming the FCC for leaking information to lobbyists ahead of key votes.
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Google has an easy choice - win the bid and set own rules
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