Google can bid in wireless auction: regulators

By Peter Kaplan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Communications regulators have cleared Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to bid in an upcoming auction of coveted wireless airwaves, according to auction documents released by the Federal Communications Commission on Monday.

Google was among a list of potential bidders released by the FCC that have made a required up-front payment and have been cleared to take part in the high-stakes 700 megahertz wireless auction.

The auction is scheduled to begin on January 24 and expected to raise at least $10 billion for the U.S. government from airwaves being returned by television broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early 2009.

As expected, the list of qualified bidders also included U.S. wireless providers AT&T Inc (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), as well as ventures involving EchoStar Communications Corp (DISH.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Cablevision Systems Corp (CVC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) co-founder Paul Allen.

On a separate list of potential bidders that did not qualify for the auction was a venture affiliated with Frontline Wireless, a start-up that had proposed to build a national network using a block of spectrum to be shared with public safety agencies.

A Frontline official said last week that Frontline was "closed at this time" and declined further comment.

The 700-megahertz signals are valuable because they can go long distances and penetrate thick walls.

The spectrum is to be auctioned off in several different blocks, ranging from smaller regional blocks to large, nationwide ones.