Google's White Space WIFI Plan

The dust is finally settling from the recent US Government auction of licenses to operate using the 700MHZ spectrum that will be freed as Televisions move to "digital only" signals in 2009.

Verizon was the winner of most of the new spectrum by bidding the highest, and thus will have a new and commanding mobile presence. However Google has some ideas of their own about how to use the "white space", or unused parts of the spectrum, for WIFI signals to handheld devices. Many analysts feel that Google was participating in the multi-billion high stakes auction for the purpose of creating open access in the mobile space rather than for the purpose of owning the licenses, and if so Google appears to have succeeded in their goal.

CNET parses today's statement from Google about their future plans which appear to include a massive increase in the bandwidth and usage of mobile wireless devices that will use the open operating system for mobile devices "Android" as well as have the active support of the Open Handset Alliance.