Google's 700MHz plan versus the laws of physics

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 26 July 2007 12:56

Opinion and Analysis

Conditions that Google wants the FCC to impose on eventual buyers of the 700MHz spectrum have generated much interest, but higher laws than any that might be imposed by the FCC - the laws of physics - might determine the future of its proposals.

Google's highly publicised and controversial letter to the FCC says that 'the only way to guarantee new broadband platforms is through open platforms." Google discuses four types of platforms that it says "should be mandated for commercial spectrum": open applications, open devices, open services, and open networks.

Under its open networks proposal, ISPs would be able to interconnect their own network facilities with the last-mile towers of the wireless providers. The ISPs then would purchase or lease discrete blocks of network capacity and provide a competing retail service.

A second type of open platform, according to Google, would be "the ability of end users to utilise a handheld communications device with whatever wireless network is desired." The corollary of this is that a wireless service provider would not be able to lock individual handsets to specific wireless networks. This presupposes that wireless devices are compatible with all networks and that the builders of all networks choose similar performance parameters. Issues of physics and interoperability loom large.

Respected cellular market analyst, Shosteck Group, has neatly summed up the big unanswered questions about Google's proposal, and they are all rooted in the technology.

What technology would be deployed? How much in-building coverage would be required? Shosteck points out that each would have different business cases which would impact the type of network required. "A one-size fits all solution would potentially be critically compromised."

And, it asks: "what are the device/handset implications? Without specifying a technology and without interoperability with cellular bands or TV bands or public safety users, device vendors already stretched with R&D will support only those standards which will scale. Any standards which take vendors into 'technology cul-de-sacs' will not scale and will not be supported."

Shosteck warns Google: "The lack of thought regarding devices points to a lack of understanding of the relationship between engineering, technology, and business issues. Companies have failed by not recognising the importance of these interrelationships."

Google it says "must have a business model that obeys the laws of scale economy, the laws of physics, interoperability and spectral coexistence with other users."

Google has of late been accused of growing increasingly arrogant by pushing the FCC to put in place rules that are to Google's liking. Trying to buck the laws of physics would quickly bring the company down a peg or two.