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Google Accused of 'Gaming' FCC Auction

Lawmakers say firm made fake bids to trigger open access

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:31 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Republican lawmakers are charging that Google manipulated an FCC bandwidth auction to get a free ride on the airwaves, PC World reports. The internet giant is accused of bidding purely to bump up the price to a level where rules trigger open access—and then walking away, leaving Verizon to win the auction. The auction of 700MHz spectrums raised less than had been expected.

Google has said its priority in the auction was to make certain the open-access rules came into play. "I suppose we cannot blame them for trying to get free access to the spectrum," one Republican told the House. "What is more concerning is that even though we knew what they were doing, we let them maneuver this way."

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin takes part in an industry insider session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in this Jan. 8. 2008 file photo.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin takes part in an industry insider session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in this Jan. 8. 2008 file photo.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Google is said to have bumped up a bid in the FCC's recent airwaves auction to ensure open-access rules were triggered, then walked away to let Verizon place the winning bid.
Google is said to have bumped up a bid in the FCC's recent airwaves auction to ensure open-access rules were triggered, then walked away to let Verizon place the winning bid.   (AP Photo/George Widman, File)
Florida Republican Cliff Stearns was among the lawmakers who say Google manipulated an FCC auction of airwaves.
Florida Republican Cliff Stearns was among the lawmakers who say Google manipulated an FCC auction of airwaves.   (Getty Images)
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Auction raises $20B but branded a failure
Los Angeles Times

Google explains its bidding
Associated Press

 
Google • FCC • Verizon • radio spectrum • telecommunications • spectrum auction • 700 Mhz

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