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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Google sets sights on US airwaves | Google sets sights on US airwaves |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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 planned transition to digital TV services in the US has freed up the wireless capacity. | The planned transition to digital TV services in the US has freed up the wireless capacity. |
| The C Block radio waves will be free from early 2009. | The C Block radio waves will be free from early 2009. |
| Google hopes that the new network capacity will allow it to compete directly with existing mobile communications companies. | Google hopes that the new network capacity will allow it to compete directly with existing mobile communications companies. |
| At the moment, most mobile phone companies force users to use particular software to operate their handsets. | At the moment, most mobile phone companies force users to use particular software to operate their handsets. |
| The FCC has specified that whoever wins the auction must use it to allow users to operate whatever software they want. | |
| Google recently announced plans to develop software for mobile phones. | 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". | 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. | The C Block is in the 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum. |