Google's Wireless Auction Play

Google recently made a bid on the new wireless spectrum being offered for auction. Then it withdrew, but only after the competition upped their bids to counter Google's bid. It was an interesting play, that left the spectrum more expensive than it otherwise might have been and therefore raised the cost of the business to google's competition. Was this the intention, or did Google just get turned off by the convoluted auction process? Or did they change their strategy along the way? Google's Wireless Auction Play