This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7121361.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Google sets sights on US airwaves Google sets sights on US airwaves
(20 minutes later)
Internet search giant Google is in the running for a slice of the US airwaves. Google has announced it is in the running for a slice of the US airwaves that would allow it to launch a nationwide wireless internet network.
Part of the spectrum, called the C Block, is being sold by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an auction starting at $4.6bn (£2.2bn).Part of the spectrum, called the C Block, is being sold by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an auction starting at $4.6bn (£2.2bn).
The FCC has stipulated that the successful bidder must open up the airwaves to any mobile device or software application. The planned transition to digital TV services in the US has freed up the wireless capacity.
Google had lobbied for this condition and could use the C Block to launch wireless internet services. The C Block radio waves will be free from early 2009.
Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive, promised that these conditions would ensure that whoever won the auction US consumers would, "see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet". Google hopes that the new network capacity will allow it to compete directly with existing mobile communications companies.
The planned transition to digital TV services in the US has freed up the C Block, which is in the 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum. At the moment, most mobile phone companies force users to use particular software to operate their handsets.
The FCC has specified that whoever buys wins the auction must use it to allow users to operate whichever software they want.
Google recently announced plans to develop software for mobile phones.
Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive, promised that whoever wins the auction US consumers would "see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet".
The C Block is in the 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum.