Google 700 MHz Spectrum Official

Google confirmed its bid for the 700Mz spectrum auction that will take place next year in January, giving the company the possibility to become a cell phone or internet provider. The deadline for bidders to apply for the FCC auction is on Monday, December 3.

Monday, December 3, is the deadline for prospective bidders to apply with the FCC to participate in the auction. Though the auction itself won’t start until January 24, 2008, Monday also marks the starting point for the FCC’s anti-collusion rules, which prevent participants in the auction from discussing their bidding strategy with each other.

Here's what Google CEO Eric Schmidt had to say: "We believe it's important to put our money where our principles are. 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."

Google adds that it will have no partners in the auction, putting to rest notions that the company might need extra financing from an investor to achieve a winning bid. However, anti-collusion rules will dictate that the company avoid discussing much of the bid after the looming December 3rd deadline for bid submissions, leading largely to silence until the January 24th auction date.

The entire auction will be handled online and could last as long as March depending on the number of bids and how quickly each slice of the spectrum is bought out. A public list of who is involved in the auction will be published by the FCC in mid-December, the company says.