Breaking:
Introduction
The Auction System:
Since 1994, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has conducted auctions of licenses for electromagnetic spectrum. These auctions are open to any eligible company or individual that submits an application and upfront payment, and is found to be a qualified bidder by the Commission.
FCC auctions are conducted electronically and are accessible over the Internet. Thus, qualified bidders can place bids from the comfort of their home or office. Further, anyone with access to a computer with a web browser can follow the progress of an auction and view the results of each round.
700 MHz:
The 700 Mhz spectrum is part of the 698-806 MHz band ("700 MHz Band"), which
has been occupied by television broadcasters and is being made
available for new commercial and public safety services as a result of
the digital television (DTV) transition.
Usage:
The 700 Mhz Band licenses may be used for flexible fixed, mobile, and
broadcast uses, including fixed and mobile wireless commercial services
(including FDD- and TDD-based services); fixed and mobile wireless uses
for private, internal radio needs; and mobile and other digital new
broadcast operations. These uses may include two-way interactive,
cellular, and mobile television broadcasting services.
Click here for the Cellular Market Map.
Auction Deadlines
- FCC Form 175 Filing Window Opens: November 19, 2007
- FCC Form 175s due: December 3, 2007
- Upfront Payments due: December 28, 2007
- Mock Auction: January 18, 2008
- Auction Begins: January 24, 2008
List of Approved Bidders
Click here for the FCC list of approved bidders.
Licenses Available
Block A: 176 Economic Area (EA) licenses
Block B: 734 Cellular Market Area (CMA) licenses
Block E: 176 Economic Area (EA) licenses
Block C: 12 Regional Economic Area Grouping (REAG) licenses
Block D: 1 nationwide license (subject to conditions respecting a public/private partnership)
1,099 licenses total
Auction Coverage
Canadian spectrum auction to end soon
Industry Canada's wireless spectrum auction is expected to end today, netting the government more than $4.19 billion--nearly three times the amount estimated. The auction was intended to increase Read more...
Report: AWS-3 license would fetch $2.8B without FCC's conditions
Analysis from the Phoenix Center says that the FCC's proposed auction of a nationwide 25-megahertz license in the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) band would garner about $2.8 billion at auction if Read more...
Prospects fade for Mobile WiMAX
The launch of commercial LTE services by late 2009 is seen as one of the bigger of many nails in the coffin of Mobile WiMAX, claims a new study by Frost & Sullivan (F&S), a market research Read more...
FCC delays auction decision
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has decided to remove the planned discussion of a potential auction of 25 megaherz of unused wireless spectrum from the June 12 meeting agenda. This auction would include 25 Read more...
Canadian spectrum auction bids top $2.5B
Just one week into the bidding and Industry Canada's spectrum auction is already exceeding expectations. The government agency reports that as of yesterday 20 players had bid more than $2.5 Read more...
FCC seeks comments on D-block re-auction
The FCC has given a June 20 deadline for receiving comments on how it should reauction the D-block 700 MHz spectrum. The spectrum, reserved for public/private network, failed to receive the minimum Read more...
FCC mulls another spectrum auction
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has scheduled a vote on rules for another spectrum auction. This auction would include 25 megahertz in the 2155 MHz to 2180 MHz band and would require the winning bidder Read more...
Will a spectrum auction requiring free broadband services work?
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has scheduled a vote on rules for another spectrum auction that would include 25 megahertz in the 2155 MHz to 2180 MHz band and would require the winning bidder to offer Read more...
FCC mulling another spectrum auction
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has scheduled a vote on rules for another spectrum auction. And you thought there wasn't any more spectrum to be auctioned. This auction would include 25 megahertz in the Read more...
Qualcomm wins U.K. spectrum but coy about plans
Having won the auction for the U.K.-wide L-band spectrum auction, Qualcomm has been reluctant to define what it might be used for other than to "explore emerging business models and advanced Read more...
Comments
1. Government's loss (not getting expected windfall) is gain for bidders/industry. i predict a number of rural telcos and small WISPs will get free spectrum (and thats a good thing for jump starting a number of industry initiatives)
2. Martin could have hyped this auction more. His predecessor, Powell, certainly would have. Example-could have hyped WiMAX triple play (or LTE or EvDo-pick your favorite wireless spec) as 700 MHz application (education? telecommuting? digital divide solutions, etc)
3. Martin shouldn't have set upfront payment so high for that D band if ultimate goal is a national public safety network - in a $ trillion+ federal budget, what's another $ billion in revenue as opposed to another Katrina-type embarassment for First Responder communications?. He could have made up for that shortfall in one of the all commercial licenses.
Thanks for the information i agree with you,senserly susanna j-sten
I AGree with frank. The Timing of the news that US is heading for a Economic Slowdown couldnt have come at a worse time for the FCC & the US Government.
One of the other possibilities although remote(if the spectrum doesnot fetch expected revenues) is that some part of the spectrum may be re-auctioned with new guidelines. Whichever way it is, at this moment there seems to be only one winnder which are the bidders.
What is really a shame is that on one side of Washington the Dept. of Agriculture RUS is loaning hundreds of millions of dollars to companies willing to attempt to build a business in Rural Fixed Wireless Networks. And on the other side of Washington the FCC is selling at a profit the last decent spectrum that would really blast through the foliage, a function that is critical to the technical and business models for Rural Fixed Wireless Broadband. WiFi don't work in the country. Why couldn't one segment of the 700 be carved out for rural broadband RUS awards. The 3.65 that the FCC carved out for Rural Broadband is falling far short. 1.5 miles of coverage in the country for Fixed Wireless deployments is not good enough. These companies already getting 3 and 4 miles with public 900 but the noise floors are rising like a river.
Come on Washington, talk to one another!!
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