.mobi Google to Bid on Mobile Airwaves

[meegwell]

See sags thread about Google mastering the mobile world.



NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc (GOOG.O) said on Friday it will bid for coveted mobile airwaves in a move that could pit the Web search leader against U.S. wireless service providers.
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The Silicon Valley-based company said it will submit a formal application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Monday.

Google's application to bid for the 700-megahertz wireless spectrum does not include any partners.

 

[Mobi Cheap]

Thank you meegwell, great to have confirmation of what we discussed previously.

It would have been embarrassing if they didn't bid after they won changes to the auction rules that will ensure the network is open to any mobile device or software application - IMHO that was a very big win for them regardless of the bidding outcome.
:imho:

 

[meegwell]

agreed - I was waiting for a confirmation. Also the Canada deal.

 

[Mobi Cheap]

It's interesting (in a good way) that they don't have any partner in this despite reports in the Wall Street Journal that potential strategic partners were interested in each investing $1 billion or more in a joint bid effort.

IMHO going it alone means among other things that:

a) they have continued support from Wall Street and confidence in their ability to raise more cash if needed;

b) they are much more likely to win this way because the horrendously complex bidding decisions can be made quickly and effectively - which would be practically impossible if that had to be done by a committee representing different interests; and

c) if and when they do win a block, they would be able to bring in the best partners for the job - not necessarily the ones with the deepest pockets.
:imho:

 

[airwav]

As a wireless Internet service provider, I welcome the Google bid.
IMHO it would be way better to see Google than AT&T

I have current updates on this auction @ 700MHz.net

 

[Mobi Cheap]

As a wireless Internet service provider, I welcome the Google bid.
IMHO it would be way better to see Google than AT&T

I have current updates on this auction @ 700MHz.net

700MHz.net looks like a great resource - bookmarked!

 

[PVFARKAS]

nice airwave, i have the 700mhz.mobi. i'd be happy to be your mobile extension for your content, just dont want to give up the domain for now. pm me.

looked up the com - [email protected] 有關域名請聯系
nice. even better!

 

[skeitel]

I think the main reason to go it alone for the moment is clear: they want it all to happen as fast as possible. Good news for the spread of semi-open source applications and the mobile environment in general

 

[Mobi Cheap]

Good indeed:imho:

Among many other things, this sentence in the official blog post seems interesting:

"...And at a time when so many Americans don't have access to the Internet, this auction provides an unprecedented opportunity to bring the riches of the Net to more people.
...."

Could it be that they would position their mobile service as a replacement for PC based broadband as well?

 

[-REECE-]

I think they will try and position it as an alternative to broadband -- and I think that those who do will fail miserably in their efforts. The mobile web is a complement to the broadband experience. Who the heck wants to watch a YouTube video on a 3' screen, even if it could render the video properly. Likewise, viewing a friend's vacation pictures... Sounds like fun on a 3' screen Doing scientific research or school work? Kind of hard unless your phone has a qwerty keyboard... And even if it does, it gets hard on most people's eyes (especially older folks). I don't see grandma whipping out her cell phone and heading to google.mobi to search for new recipe ideas...

This will be a hit with the 15-25 age group imho. As they get older, the market share will grow larger. I didn't see many grannies using the net in the early 90s... Yet plenty do today. I see the same thing here. It might be 5 years from hitting primetime, but it'll probably be 10+ years before the 40+ crowd starts using it anything more than infrequently.

The mobile web has it's purpose, but it certainly won't be replacing the PC web anytime soon.

Good indeed:imho:

Among many other things, this sentence in the official blog post seems interesting:

"...And at a time when so many Americans don't have access to the Internet, this auction provides an unprecedented opportunity to bring the riches of the Net to more people.
...."

Could it be that they would position their mobile service as a replacement for PC based broadband as well?

 

[jacpar]

What will be the impact for dot mobi ?

 

[Mobi Cheap]

What will be the impact for dot mobi ?

In principle - at least in the near/medium term - what's good for mobile is good for .mobi.

Sags has an impressive 'super-acceleration theory' (if I may call it that) about Google's wireless game plan, but you don't have to believe in it to believe that today's confirmation by Google is good for mobi.
:imho:

 

[-REECE-]

Haven't read sags thread yet... But I agree.

Good for mobile = Good for .mobi, for now at least

In principle - at least in the near/medium term - what's good for mobile is good for .mobi.

Sags has an impressive 'super-acceleration theory' (if I may call it that) about Google's wireless game plan, but you don't have to believe in it to believe that today's confirmation by Google is good for mobi.
:imho:

 

[sags]

Google is following through with their plans of owning their own broadband space. They have intimated on several occasions that they view the present carriers, with a multitude of technical demands and quirks, as an impediment to the future of wireless and more specifically Google's business.

For an update about the May 08 bandspace auction in Canada, one of the big "competitors" that Google would have for the space just got blindsided by some untimely revelations today.

It would seem that a former Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, (you Americans will remember him as Ronald Reagan's best Irish pal) who is already under suspicion for accepting bribes while in office as the Prime Minister of Canada, was also lobbying the government to open broadband space for a company called Quebecor. The PC government has been busily denying it all day.

With this relevation, and Mr. Mulroney's likely upcoming trial, the present Conservative government will want to distance themselves from Quebecor.

It really opens up the playing field for Google, as there aren't any other Canadian companies with the size and scope to put together a national network.

Now, if Google would partner with Nortel, who at one time were the biggest company in Canada, they would have a Canadian partner with the tech ability and hardware to run a network.

That would be a marriage made in business heaven.

Google cash and innovation...............Nortel expertise and hardware.

Interesting times ahead.

Thanks for the article,

Regards,

Sags

 

[airwav]

700MHz.net looks like a great resource - bookmarked!

Thanks!

I think they will try and position it as an alternative to broadband -- and I think that those who do will fail miserably in their efforts. The mobile web is a complement to the broadband experience. Who the heck wants to watch a YouTube video on a 3' screen, even if it could render the video properly. Likewise, viewing a friend's vacation pictures... Sounds like fun on a 3' screen Doing scientific research or school work? Kind of hard unless your phone has a qwerty keyboard... And even if it does, it gets hard on most people's eyes (especially older folks). I don't see grandma whipping out her cell phone and heading to google.mobi to search for new recipe ideas...

Not necessarly...

We deploy "Fixed Wireless" using the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum. Here is a diagram of how Fixed Wirelss works LINK.
Today with this technology we can deliver up to 40/40 Mbps with a point to multipoint network, which is a lot of bandwidth coming to someones network, not just pda, cell, etc.

The 700 MHz could be used for both fixed and mobile wireless. Right now Wimax is being deployed in the US in the 3650 MHz range. But generally the lower the MHz the better penetration so theoritically 700 MHz would work better.

My image of the Google network would be ad content supported. This could easily be done with servers that dish up ads and send them over your broadband connection, it is something like we do with our "free" hotspots. It might be free to the end users, but we have to pay for it somehow, so we dish out a few ads between sessions.

 

[DomainTalker]

The mobile web is a complement to the broadband experience.

The mobile web has it's purpose, but it certainly won't be replacing the PC web anytime soon.

Essentially, I agree with your thinking on this, Reece...say, 5 years to primetime, for the mobile web...a bit more for older generations...


Just don't be surprised if the mobile take-up is much faster than that - and an almost vertical trajectory of numbers - once bandwidth/lower download cost/cheap devices gets sorted......Whether its Google, or whoever, that makes it possible.


My 19year old happily watches videos on his small(ish) Ipod screen on the bus to university now...And, the online poker schools (on PC's) are chocka with little old ladies gamblin' away, all around the world (a kind of social therapy, & company for them)...!!

...The way I see it, all ages are now used to online....Give 'em a good deal (with a reasonable size portable screen) and they may very well very quickly go online mobile for lots of things that suit when they're out and about.......but still keep their PC for more dedicated-type browsing at home..


In short, I reckon mobile will be a parallel path with PC - but, the convenience factor may drive mobile to very fast take-up...(and .mobi could be the channel).

.

 

[-REECE-]

I think your 19 year old is a prime example of the .mobi target market. I think the 15-25 will adopt the mobile internet considerably faster than older age groups. Eventually that 15-25 will be 15-30, and so on. I do see our younger generation adopting this well before the 40+ crowd does, whatever the timeline.

Essentially, I agree with your thinking on this, Reece...say, 5 years to primetime, for the mobile web...a bit more for older generations...


Just don't be surprised if the mobile take-up is much faster than that - and an almost vertical trajectory of numbers - once bandwidth/lower download cost/cheap devices gets sorted......Whether its Google, or whoever, that makes it possible.


My 19year old happily watches videos on his small(ish) Ipod screen on the bus to university now...And, the online poker schools (on PC's) are chocka with little old ladies gamblin' away, all around the world (a kind of social therapy, & company for them)...!!

...The way I see it, all ages are now used to online....Give 'em a good deal (with a reasonable size portable screen) and they may very well very quickly go online mobile for lots of things that suit when they're out and about.......but still keep their PC for more dedicated-type browsing at home..


In short, I reckon mobile will be a parallel path with PC - but, the convenience factor may drive mobile to very fast take-up...(and .mobi could be the channel).

.

 

[DomainTalker]

I do see our younger generation adopting this well before the 40+ crowd does, whatever the timeline.

Completely agree with that....

.

 

[Mobi Cheap]

Completely agree with that....

.

For what it's worth, I do too.

And more importantly, so do people who are supposed to know (as per the article that Binaryman just posted in the other thread from The Times (the one that has a functioning .mobi after its name):
--------------------------------
....
Margaret Sambell, the head of strategy for e-skills UK, agrees. She says that one of the key trends in the mobile sector is the convergence of telecommunications, internet and media.

This trend is driven by the demand from so-called Generation C users (that’s C for connected) – 16 to 25-year-olds who have grown up texting and want to use their phones for social networking and to upload videos and music.

Who else will be needed in the sector? “We need a lot more systems and network managers to support the insatiable desire for anytime, anywhere, anyplace services,” Sambell says...
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[-REECE-]

Wow lol Didn't even read that article and I was pretty close! Shows how much an expert is worth :red:

For what it's worth, I do too.

And more importantly, so do people who are supposed to know (as per the article that Binaryman just posted in the other thread from The Times (the one that has a functioning .mobi after its name):
--------------------------------
....
Margaret Sambell, the head of strategy for e-skills UK, agrees. She says that one of the key trends in the mobile sector is the convergence of telecommunications, internet and media.

This trend is driven by the demand from so-called Generation C users (that’s C for connected) – 16 to 25-year-olds who have grown up texting and want to use their phones for social networking and to upload videos and music.

Who else will be needed in the sector? “We need a lot more systems and network managers to support the insatiable desire for anytime, anywhere, anyplace services,” Sambell says...
--------------------------------