Web search leader Google Inc. said on Friday that it would participate in an upcoming wireless spectrum auction if the U.S. Federal Communications Commission added a key condition.
The company said Google would meet FCC chairman Kevin Martin's minimum bid requirement of $4.6 billion if the spectrum winner the auction were also required to offer services on a wholesale basis to third parties.
Google's move comes after Martin floated a plan last week for spectrum conditions that did not include the wholesale requirement.
This had disappointed Google, which said the government should go further in promoting competition.
Google said it was also looking for the FCC to require the winner of the spectrum to support any wireless device, downloads of any software or application.