Google has officially announced that they’ll be participating in next year’s 700Mhz auction ahead of the December 3 FCC deadline for declaring intent. The spectrum, considered the last great batch of “waterfront property,” could be used to offer a national wireless broadband network that could challenge incumbent interests.

The FCC refused to meet Google’s demand that auction winners be forced to offer wholesale access to competitors. The FCC did apply some Carterfone-esque rules requiring carriers allow any mobile device to access the network, but some legal experts believe the rules are filled with intentional loopholes making them all but meaningless.

Google had argued that the current auction process was rigged so that companies like AT&T and Verizon held the upper hand. The search giant’s primary concern has been that incumbent wireless operators will strangle Google out of the mobile market with their own mobile services (and advertising platforms).

Google has stated they’ll be bidding alone, but they may sign on partners later to manage the network. They could also lease out the spectrum to another company with the understanding that their content and services would take priority.

“We believe it’s important to put our money where our principles are,” says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today’s wireless world. No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet.”
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