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Spectrum Auction Could Be A Game of Chicken
Ardvark writes "Google promised some time ago to bid at least the reserve price for the C block of 700Mhz spectrum if the FCC accepted its demand for an open access rule for devices using the band, which the FCC did over Verizon's objections. If the reserve price is not met the rule will be dropped and the block re-auctioned. It appears now that bidding has stalled just short of the reserve price. It's assumed that Google has no interest in becoming a cell phone company and with a recession looming the 700MHz spectrum now seems worth a whole lot less. If Google's strategy was to force the bidding above the reserve but still lose the auction, Verizon could be calling their bluff, threatening them to live up to their word and buy what to Google could be the equivalent of a $4.6 billion 'doohickey.'" Update: 01/31 16:01 GMT by Z : And just like that, the plot thickens: the C block has hit the reserve price during bidding.
I bet they're just waiting. 30 seconds before it ends all their auction sniper programs will bid it up another 30%.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
I trust Google will not let us down. They are just waiting to see if they can get it for 4.6 instead of 4.7 Billion.
And then when they get it they will build out a solar powered wireless network that will offer broadband everywhere. Not only that it will be free and be faster than FIOS. It will be IPv6 so every user can have their own block of static IPs and it will smell like home made cookies and be as warm as a puppy.
Yea that is it.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
If Google wins, and they don't know what else to do with it, I think they should release their block of the 700 MHz bandwidth under the GPL.
It would be worth it just to see approximately a million dorks have their heads explode as they endlessly debate what it means to copyright bandwidth.
Since hitting the reserve price brings more clarity, wouldn't it be more accurate to say "the plot thins"?
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
All the other telcom companies companies come under a massive DOS attack from the middle east / central asia and google wins at reserve price. :)
...and people grow more data hungry (and they always grow more data hungry) Nah, people are fine as long as you remember these simple rules:- Keep them away from bright light
- Don't get any water on them
- Never, never ever feed them data after midnight
It's due to the difference between gigadollars and gibidollars. Blame the hard disk manufacturers.