700 MHz Auction Stirs Interest from Alltel and MetroPCS
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Comments 12
May 30, 2007, 3:02 PM by (staff)
With the FCC 700 MHz spectrum auction nearing, smaller players in the wireless industry are petitioning the FCC to keep the playing field fair. Alltel recently asked the FCC to ignore several petitions that ask it to reserve blocks of spectrum for various types of public-safety networks. MetroPCS is also stepping into the ring. It has recently freed up $1.3 billion in funding that it said could be used towards the auction. The 700 MHz spectrum is currently used by broadcast television systems and is being vacated as television switches to digital signals. The date for the auction has not been set, but Federal law mandates that it begin no later than January 28, 2008.
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Valuable Spectrum?
I have always believed that 850mhz was better than 1900mhz spectrum. If 700mhz penetrates even better than 850mhz (as I suspect) then this spectrum should not be cheap. I think the big boys will be in on this in all the major metropolitan areas. This could be a VERY lucrative auction for the government.
i dont see at&t and vzw clamoring over 700mhz spectrum because they already have 850mhz spectrum. I do see t-mobile and sprint competing w/ metroPCS and other small companies. im excited about this 700mhz spectrum because it will increase coverage. ...
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I think you point out some great things. However, I don't think that it will effect the metro areas at all. Aren't most metro areas on good 3g networks now? Wouldn't it help more in the extreme BF areas? I could be wrong.
I'll tell you who isn't happy about it: manufacturers who will have to add yet another frequency to handsets. I don't think they're looking forward to their customers demanding a quintband phone with quadband UMTS.
The carriers that will be looking at this are the ones that didn't win out in the last auction. Sprint and T-Mo made out great at the last auction. Alltel didn't do much of anything so they will be buying a lot this time around.
VZW might also be ...
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New Spectrum, New Ideas
There is no reason that a company *must* use that spectrum for what we already use spectrum for.
For example, a company could use that spectrum in an tourist area for devices that could give directions, recommend areas, or serve as a communication unit more traditionally. High speed internet, telephony, or other services.
It might be interesting to see what might happen.
Good to see...
...Metro going after this spectrum. 700 mhz should be well worth the money.