I’m here at the CTIA keynote session listening to Steve Largent interview Steve Ballmer. Steve just asked Ballmer if Microsoft plans to participate in the 700 MHz auction, and unlike the ambiguous answers I’ve heard from certain Silicon Valley companies lately- Ballmer answered an affirmative “No.” He said, “We have a core competence, and the telecom industry has a core competence; it takes a real expertise to set up networks and provide customer service.”

Refreshing to get a straight answer :)