FierceWireless: The C Block of spectrum hit its reserve price of $4.6 billion today, which means that the open access rules the FCC implemented will stick. Google, Skype and others were instrumental in getting the open access fight. How do you feel about today's development?
Libertelli: There was a question about whether the open access provisions would depress the value of the spectrum and I think this morning's activity showed that the markets had fewer reservations about the reserve than a lot of the critics who lobbied the FCC did. It was, I think, a very, very positive decision that the commission came up with last July in the face of some pretty stiff lobbying by wireless incumbents. This represents the best tradition of FCC decision-making. I'm not so surprised that the companies would eventually recognize that wireless Carterphone and open access is in the best interest of consumers and the network providers and companies like Skype that build applications for wireless networks, but maybe it was just a matter of the individual players thinking through business models and then coming up with things like the bid that we saw this morning.
FierceWireless: Currently the C Block has not garnered a bid after the one that pushed it over its $4.6 billion reserve price. Do you think that indicates that there was just one bidder--like Google--since the company promised the FCC that it would drive the spectrum block's price tag up past that reserve price?
Libertelli: Well... Read More [1]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/hot-seat-skypes-christopher-libertelli/2008-02-01