Frontline Wireless is positioning itself for a bid for the upcoming auction of 700 MHz spectrum in the US. Its pitch is based on estabishing a national public safety network for first responders, and it’s lobbying the FCC to set aside part of the spectrum to sell with rules that match its proposed plan. It becomes relevant to the mobile industry in the way the company plans to pay for this—by launching a 4G network with open access…ie, users would be able to connect any device to the network as long as “do no harm” safeguards are met. The company plans to sell its services to wholesale customers, and offer roaming to small and regional carriers. Because it’s IP-based it will be like the internet, so it’s not just any device that can be used, but the way I read it any type of service can be offered… VoIP springs to mind. The New York Times has a piece on the auction and what various players want to do with the spectrum—the most high-profile is the consortium of tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Dell and so on.