...The federal government's decision to auction off this prime public spectrum next month could change the wireless world. It has the potential to make talking on a cellphone, surfing the Web on a mobile device and even watching television on your handset easier and cheaper.

Google Inc. said Friday that it would bid, and a slew of other companies were expected to file to join them by Monday's deadline. ...

"No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers, who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet," Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said Friday in a statement. ...

The airwaves are considered the beachfront of the wireless landscape. Used for years for TV broadcasts, the chunk of spectrum in the 700-megahertz band carries data much farther than other bands, requiring fewer transmission towers. And it can easily penetrate obstacles, making it ideal for streaming video, which requires an uninterrupted signal.

"For the same reason you can get TV reception in your basement, the low-frequency TV bands cut easily through walls and trees and bad weather," said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank. "You can get better coverage for about one-fourth the cost." ...

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