Has Google Already Lost 700Mhz Auction?Company may have bid to lose after all... ( old news - 10:35AM Wednesday Feb 06 2008) tags: business · wireless · alternativesDespite the fact that bidders are anonymous under FCC rules, Forbes believes that Verizon has all but won the much-coveted "C block" spectrum in the ongoing 700Mhz auction. On Thursday someone (assumed to be Google) threw down $4.7 billion for the whole block. Since then, someone (assumed to be Verizon) has been throwing billions at acquiring smaller regional chunks of spectrum, which when added up, would top the original bid. Analysts speculated that Google likely bid $4.6 billion for the C block. Under FCC rules, a $4.6 billion bid would ensure the creation of a broadband network "open" to any devices or application. Industry watchers speculated that Google, which lobbied the FCC to adopt open access rules for the auction, was participating in the auction out of a sense of duty rather than a desire to win. Lots has been made of Google's effort to ensure that the C-Block auction winner has to create a device-agnostic network, but as we've discussed previously, the conditions have plenty of loopholes for the smart attorneys at Verizon to wiggle through. While the auction isn't officially over, many analysts think C-Block bidding has quieted down and Google has essentially bid to lose.
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 |  | axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Cox HSI
| Re: Interesting Note I don't think they get to bid again, they just win the blocks with the open access requirement.
The reason it makes sense to do it that way, is to save 100 million dollars or so. They could have placed a higher bid on the whole block, but they'd have to bid in increments, say $130 million more. If they can win with just a $30 million overbid, they saved some money. | |
| | | Gilitar
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL
1 edit | Ugh... Verizon is the last company that wou want to trust to run a so called "device-agnostic network".
Edit: Ok... maybe second to last behind AT&T | |
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Lee GWB
Yaco
Premium
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ | Still open? But it "Must" be an "OPEN" network...!!! ???? | |
| 
Luker3
@vt.edu | What about Google wanting software for mobile devices? I was hoping it was a sign that they would bid to win when they offered a monetary prize to the best software developers made.
But maybe they did that to put a sliver of pressure on whoever does win. | |
| xenophon
join:2007-09-17
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Verizon has to win it Verizon doesn't have enough nationwide spectrum to do LTE or other 4G. They pretty much have to win or not be a player in 4G.
They do have AWS some spectrum for the eastern half of US if I recall, but not enough nationwide. ATT and Sprint already have enough to deploy 4G mostly nationwide.
I'd rather see Google partner with someone (like Sprint WiMAX) than become a telcom company. I really don't see Google dealing with customer support of such services. | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| Re: Verizon has to win it Not me... I'd rather see a new, powerful competitor enter the market with fresh ideas and a will to fight.
Seeding this spectrum to the big boys will give us more of the same we have now: Consolidation, higher prices, Slow access, Caps, 2 year contracts, etc etc
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) | |
| | | jay_rm
join:2002-04-12
Netville
·Fox Valley Internet
 ·ViaTalk
| Re: Verizon has to win it said by KrK  :Not me... I'd rather see a new, powerful competitor enter the market with fresh ideas and a will to fight. Even if that powerful new competitor has NEVER rolled out a wireless network before, not even a local one ??
I doubt Google would try on their own - they would team with someone else, possibly with an existing provider entity you might consider 'evil'.
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3500/512 5.7 GHz Motorola Canopy Wireless; FoxValley.net
"Peace through superior firepower" | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | Re: Verizon has to win it The more competition, the more options, the better. | |
| | | emptywig
Huh? What?
Premium
join:2002-08-05
Pasadena, TX | What would a fresh idea for running a telecom look like? I don't think Google has one.
wig | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| Re: Verizon has to win it said by emptywig :What would a fresh idea for running a telecom look like? I don't think Google has one. Service? Features? Value? | |
| | | | | emptywig
Huh? What?
Premium
join:2002-08-05
Pasadena, TX
1 edit | Re: Verizon has to win it said by KrK :said by emptywig :What would a fresh idea for running a telecom look like? I don't think Google has one. Service? Features? Value? Hardly fresh ideas.
What new features? I mean, there are only so many things a phone can do.
I think Google needs to stay out of the phone biz. Stick with what you know.
wig
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"There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." | |
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jasonD
@comcast.net | Of course a telco was going to get it... but it's just too bad google felt they had to stick their hand in the pot. They (google) have done nothing but raise the auction cost, which ultimately will be paid by all of us. | |
| | | 
CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Speakeasy
| I don;'t think Google was/is going to be the panacea that everyone think it will be. Their revenue and profit (maybe just profit) missed Wall St estimates for the first time in their history. If they get in I don't think it will be with perfect open network - they will /would finagle it to get the most for their dollar to keep profits up and the stock price.
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Brian
Free health care is 100% a misnomer - it is not free and never will be free. | |
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X_Digit
Binary Enhanced
Premium
join:2003-06-12
Mansfield, TX
| Never... Never in a million years, would I have speculated ANY company throwing down BILLIONS of shareholder dollars at a chunk of FREQUENCY that MOVES THROUGH THE AIR!
Never in a million years, would you convince me that holding these kinds of auctions, etc. is the place for the FCC!
Anybody who STILL isn't convinced that we no longer have a government... but yet a group of CORPORATIONS that run this entire country, who buy votes, buy laws to fit their needs, buy ANYTHING to fit their agenda and needs (regardless of anything else... even at the cost of it's moral. And, if they can't buy it... I wonder what means they'd go?), they should get their heads examined!
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Respectfully, X_Digit | |
| | brawney
Premium
join:2002-03-02
Frederick, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Never... And what is the government going to do with all this money? Spend it in Iraq? Just think what "good" could be done with this money if it didn't go into the government spending machine. Broadband for everyone, new schools, pay teachers what they're worth...  | |
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Interesting Note
