The Federal Communications Commission is auctioning the 700-megahertz spectrum to increase bandwidth for mobile phone and Internet services. Google covets the "C Block" of the spectrum because regulators stipulated that whoever operates it must allow their users to download any software application they want to a mobile device. The auction will start at a reserve price of $4.6 billion.
“Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today's wireless world," Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Cellular phone companies now force subscribers to use proprietary software to operate phones on their network, but Google plans to challenge that business model. The company announced several weeks ago that it will develop software for mobile devices. Anticipating Google's move, Verizon Wireless announced recently that it would open its network to devices other than the ones it’s currently supporting, as long as they pass Verizon hardware quality and compatibility tests.
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