Shaun Nichols in California, vnunet.com01 Feb 2008
ADVERTISEMENT
An open broadband wireless network in the US moved one step closer to reality
today.
The
US
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that bidding on the 700MHz
C-block had surpassed the $4.6bn reserve, meaning that the winner of the auction
will be forced to
open the network
to all mobile devices.
The top bid on the block at 5:30pm Pacific time on 31 January stood at
roughly $4.71bn.
The identity of the top bidders is being kept secret to prevent collusion,
but Google,
AT&T and
Verizon
are among those expected to be taking part.
At the end of each round, the highest bid is announced and a new round
begins. The auction ends when a round closes with no new bids being entered.
While significant, the news was not unexpected. Google pledged in July to bid
at least enough in the auction to
meet
the reserve price, but the final cost of the band is expected to be higher.
The search giant was one of the major backers of FCC president Kevin Martin's
plan to open the spectrum to all devices.
Wireless carriers blasted the plan as 'Silicon Valley welfare', however, and
accused the FCC of allowing Google to rig the auction in its favour.
Verizon went so far as to
sue the
FCC over the rule, although the case was dropped shortly after being filed.
Are you stuck in a dead end job? Do you want to take control of your salary, life and career? Advent IT and computer training offers advanced, professional training and helps you find the right ... more >
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom | Tesco.com
Database Developer - Welwyn Garden CityWho's behind the world's most successful online retailer? Just over 10 years ago we started Tesco.com (aka Dotcom). Today, we've an incredible 750,000 active customers and sales at just under ... more >
SharePoint Architect - £30 -£50k - Isle of Man PDMS is a growing and dynamic software house with offices in the Isle of Man and London. We work with a wide variety of clients in ... more >
Business Analyst - £30,000 - £35,000 - Solihull We are in need of a Business Analyst with strong analytical skills and a penchant for learning the domain knowledge of the Utilities sector (Gas industry in ... more >More job opportunities
Print
Discuss
Send to friend
RSS feeds
del.icio.us
Digg this
reddit!
