E-books—including the library variety—could win big if Google's WiFi plan succeeds

The e-book business and public libraries, not just Google, Microsoft and Dell, could win big if the FCC approves a plan for “WiFi on steroids.” It would use spectrum space between TV channels. The Google-written plan would help make WiFi available in remote locations such as rural North Dakota, let you whiz along at gigabit-per-second speeds, and perhaps even be ready by Christmas 2009.

How would E come out ahead? Well, you’d be able in far, far more situations to read e-books online if you wanted. I’d hate that as the only possibility. But I can see justifications for online viewing, rather than downloaded files, in various circumstances beyond the standard commercial ones. This could be one model for libraries, as could a mix of social DRM and permanent checkouts of some books. Thanks to Jim Lester for reminding me of view-online as a possibility for books that libraries couldn’t afford to include as permanent checkouts; now to try to win Jim over to the permanent check out concept! I’ll have more to say on it later today or tomorrow, when I explain it further. But in a nutshell, permanent checkout is the idea that you can keep library books forever, just so you act within fair use and avoid, say, putting them on P2P networks. And, yes, there would be extra compensation for publishers and writers to make up for lost sales.

WiFi push: One more reason for Google to do .epub

Meanwhile I’d hope that the folks at Google would regard online viewing and the standard downloads as complementary to each other—and yet more reasons to go for the IDPF‘s .epub standard and work with other companies to improve it. Significantly  the .epub-capable FBReader will be running on Google’s Android phone platform, about which, by the way, Mike Cane has some nice words in an e-book context.

Suggestion to Google: Play the library card to the hilt if you’re not already–we know the plan is iffy (see Dana Blankenhorn’s opinion piece). Keep selling the plan on technical merits and noting that ways could be found to avoid interference with TV reception. But also sell it as a literacy-extender. We want young people to be able to read books, not just talk or play games, on their mobile phones.

And a message to Rob Preece of BooksForABuck.com: Got anything to say, as a former FCC economist—whether you agree with the above or not?

Of interest: Blog post by Rick Whitt, Google’s telecommunications and media counsel in D.C.  Even though Google lost in the spectrum auction, many of the concepts still apply. Also see other posts on telecom in the Google Public Policy Blog. Google policy analyst Derick Slater notes that the U.S. is 15th in “broadband uptake” compared to other countries.

Reminder: I own a tiny, tiny slice of Google for retirement purposes but love to bash ’em when circumstances merit, such as the use of corporate watermarks on public domain books.

Photo credit: CC-licensed and shot by Tuey. Photo shows a North Dakota barn.