FCC filings show Google could be working with Clearwire on an experimental LTE network
It’s been rumored for ages now, but what was more or less blind hope is beginning to sound a bit more like reality. That is, if this story from The Wall Street Journal holds any weight. Apparently, Google is already building a wireless network — yes, you heard right. Google Wireless Beta could be in the making. But get this, during its experimental phase (when is Google ever not experimenting on something?), the wireless network will only be used by employees at the Mountain View Googleplex and within a 2 mile radius.
The gist of the story goes that FCC filings were discovered showing Google’s plans to use 50 base stations along with 200 user devices (the next Nexus?) during this experimental period. According to the report, Google will be using frequencies currently in possession by the possibly soon-to-be-Dish-owned Clearwire. Here’s the kicker: Google’s lawyers took the time to redact very specific portions of the FCC filing citing,
“The information for which confidential treatment is sought concerns the highly competitive consumer electronics market.”
Sweet, Mother Theresa. Somethings definitely afoot. You may remember from an earlier report, Google was actually involved in meetings with Dish on the possibility of working together on a wireless network. Sounds a bit like an Android fanboy’s wildest dreams come true, eh?
[The Wall Street Journal | Steven Crowley | FCC 1, FCC 2, FCC 3 | via The Verge]