So what's Google doing buying a radio advertising company? It's an intriguing question in the wake of Google's $102-million to US$1.24-billion (depending on future performance) purchase of dMarc Broadcasting. There are a few ways to look at it. One, it will let Google's existing customers easily access the radio market. Two, it could give Google a way to launch audio advertising on the Web. Still, it seems like a curious move. I mean, if Google can buy a company that provides radio ad-buying and tracking services, what's stopping it from buy a traditional ad-buying agency or an advertising agency to handle creative? The more deals done by Google, the more I get the impression Larry and Sergey are back in the lab running experiments - albeit with the luxury of having a business behind them that kicks off billions of dollar a year in free cash flow, and a sky-high stock price. Given its financial clout, Google can dabble with Wi-Fi, make a major investment acquire a cool start-up and hire some of the biggest high-tech brains such as Vinton Cerf. What makes Google so fascinating is its uniqueness. There is no other company with its combination of financial resources, business momentum, talent pool and strategic creativity. Even though Microsoft has more than $35-billion of cash, the software giant doesn't have the corporate culture or flexibility to match Google. Look at how Microsoft has done nothing on the Web 2.0 deal front while rivals such as Google, Yahoo and eBay have been on a buying spree (Yahoo has apparently picked up SearchFox, according to TechCrunch). Maybe what makes Google so compelling is you don't know where its next strategic zig or zag will be. Will Google buy the rest of AOL? Will it launch nation-wide Wi-Fi network supported by a fiber backbone? Will it make a play to dominate Madison Ave.? Only Larry and Sergey know for sure - and they're holding their cards real close the vest.

How fast can you go? It's become the question in the broadband market as Canadian carriers and cablecos battle it out for subscribers without reverting to - heaven forbid - lower prices. Videotron has raised the ante against Bell in Quebec by increasing the speed of its extreme high-speed service to 10Mbps from 6.5Mbps. This compares with Bell's 5Mbps "Ultra" service. If carriers and cablecos were smart, they would generate more revenue by charging customers for higher speeds - rather than playing around with the idea of charging downstreams fees (a.k.a tollgates) to content and service providers.
Update: Moody's Investors Service expects Canadian cablecos will have 1.2 million local phone subscribers by the end of 2006, or 11% of the $10-billion local market. It suggests, however, that carriers will be in a better position to protect their local business once regulatory changes are implemented later this year.