Internet search and advertising giant, Google Inc., is going ahead with plans
to bid in America’s next wireless spectrum auction, according to sources cited
by Reuters.
Although Google has not yet made an official decision regarding its
participation in the
700MHz auction scheduled to begin on January 24, it is “making all the
necessary preparations to become an applicant to bid in the auction” before the
December 3 deadline.
Google executives discussed the auction with regulatory officials, including
FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin, earlier this month and is “inching more towards”
making a bid, one source said.
If Google participates in the upcoming auction, it is expected to do so
alone, potentially pitting it against leading cell phone carriers like AT&T,
Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel. Sources say that it is “within the realm of
possibility,” however, that the internet giant could recruit partners in the
wireless industry if and when it acquires its own wireless spectrum licenses.