• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPointCloud

Google’s Secret Wireless Plan to Test at Nascar Races

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 31, 2017, 1:18 PM ET

Google has received permission to move forward with a quiet test of new wireless technology that could eventually bring lower cost Internet connections to mobile users.

The Federal Communications Commission last week approved Google’s application to try its new gear in four spots over the summer. The tests will take place at Nascar race events at tracks in Bristol, Tenn.; Brooklyn, Mich.; Darlington, S.C.; and Richmond, Va. The FCC approval was reported earlier by the web site LightReading.

Google hasn’t released many details about the trials, but the technology won’t require spectrum licenses because it will operate in the 3.5 GHz band set aside by the FCC for extending Wi-Fi as part of its Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) plan. Ultimately, offering Internet connections in unlicensed bands should bring down the cost, although the new users must take care not to interfere with others already using nearby airwave bands in some locations, including military radar stations and satellite receiver stations.

Google has also asked the FCC about testing the 3.5 GHz gear in 24 cities around the country. Google declined to comment on the Nascar trial approval. 

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

While there is no guarantee that anything will come of the tests, Google has said in previous applications that it is working towards a “secret commercially valuable plan.”

Google already owns Webpass, a unit of its Alphabet holding company’s Fiber business, which offers Internet service to homes and businesses using licensed wireless bands. But the service only uses wireless connections to reach large businesses and apartment dwellings and then links with each customer inside the buildings via a traditional ethernet wired connection. The 3.5 GHz tests are expected to provide wireless Internet connections directly to phones or other gear.

The FCC’s final CBRS plan, adopted last year, made available 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band for sharing without licenses. Some wireless carriers like Verizon (VZ) plan to extend their own networks by deploying small transmission cells that can operate in the 3.5 GHz band, while Google (GOOGL) and others are looking at offering service separate from existing networks.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

Woman interviews with hiring manager.
Future of WorkJobs
‘It feels challenging to break through’: Most recruiters say they can’t find talent while 80% of job seekers feel unprepared to find a job
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 7, 2026
1 hour ago
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Nestlé’s CIO says the value of the food giant’s AI investments goes well beyond efficiency
By John KellJanuary 7, 2026
1 hour ago
HealthChatGPT
OpenAI suggests ChatGPT play doctor as millions of Americans face spiking insurance costs: ‘In the U.S., ChatGPT has become an important ally’
By Tristan BoveJanuary 7, 2026
2 hours ago
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang
C-SuiteJensen Huang
Jensen Huang is ‘perfectly fine’ with a billionaire tax, shrugging off concerns that it might scatter Silicon Valley’s talent pool
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 7, 2026
3 hours ago
CryptoCryptocurrency
Exclusive: Fireblocks acquires crypto accounting platform TRES Finance for $130 million
By Ben WeissJanuary 7, 2026
5 hours ago
Sarandos
Big TechM&A
‘Largest LBO in history’: Warner rejects Paramount again, scoffing at $87 billion worth of debt in its $108 billion bid
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 7, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Janet Yellen warns the $38 trillion national debt is testing a red line economists have feared for decades
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Law
Amazon is cutting checks to millions of customers as part of a $2.5 billion FTC settlement. Here's who qualifies and how to get paid
By Sydney LakeJanuary 6, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Mark Cuban on the $38 trillion national debt and the absurdity of U.S. healthcare: we wouldn't pay for potato chips like this
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The college-to-office path is dead: CEO of the world’s biggest recruiter says Gen Z grads need to consider trade and hospitality jobs that don't even require degrees
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Blackstone exec says elite Ivy League degrees aren’t good enough—new analysts need to 'work harder' and be nice 
By Ashley LutzJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.