Yahoo has confirmed that it has been working on its own browser and is interested in purchasing Chrome if Google is forced to sell it.
Yahoo Search General Manager Brian Provost testified that the company had been developing a browser prototype to understand what would be required to bring it to market.
He said Yahoo was also in talks with other companies to purchase a browser, but did not name which companies.
Provost said that Yahoo estimated it would take six to nine months to finish prototyping its own browser, and that acquiring Chrome would be a much faster route.
He noted that Yahoo’s search market share could increase from its current 3% to double digits if it bought Chrome.
The Yahoo executive estimated that the deal would cost tens of billions of dollars, which he said the company would be able to fund with backing from its owner, Apollo Global Management.