• GigaOm, Monday, July 23, 2007 10:48 AM

Google on Friday announced its intention to take the spectrum plunge in a letter to the SEC, guaranteeing that the company will put up the minimum $4.6 billion to bid on a piece of wireless spectrum that many believe the FCC will require to be an open network.

Which is good news for competition. Why? Because the state of the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure is "troubling" at best, and big G's intention--or so it seems--is to allow new players to provide cheaper, open wireless access to consumers. However, it's far from certain that Google will prevail in its quest--the FCC hasn't even written its rules yet for the Jan. 28 spectrum auction--but the mere entry of Google into the spectrum race guarantees that the debate will take place at the highest levels.

Telecom issues, more than being just about control over their respective networks, are also about political clout. Like any infrastructure business, telecoms are beholden to the government. For openness advocates, of which there are almost none in Washington, Google's statement of intent is a big stride forward.

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