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FCC Blesses Google's Spectrum Auction Plans

Jan 15, 2008, 9:24 AM by Eric M. Zeman

The FCC announced that a total of 214 companies have qualified for the 700MHz spectrum auction, which begins next week. Among those companies approved to participate are AT&T, EchoStar, Google, and Verizon Wireless. Over 50 companies were denied access to the auction. The FCC will hold a test auction on January 22 so participants can familiarize themselves with the bidding process. The auction itself, which starts January 24, will be blind, meaning participants can see the amount of the highest bid, but not the identity of the bidder. The minimum bid for the prime airwaves is $4.6 billion. With Frontline Wireless' dissolution last week, the FCC is concerned that no company will emerge to bid on the 10MHz of spectrum that was set aside for a national network for emergency first responders, which has a lower minimum bid of $1.33 billion. If the minimum price isn't met, the FCC can re-auction off that spectrum block without the current set of conditions, or simply award it to the highest bidder anyway.

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Comments

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This forum is closed.

Gameday78

Jan 15, 2008, 11:25 AM

T-Mobile Looks to Spend Cash!

T-Mobile is the only carrier that owns the 1700Mhz spectrum and plans on add large areas of 700Mhz to offset its higher 3g bandwith. Mommy and Daddy (Deutsche Telekom) have invested 4 Billion in network upgrades this year. Who knows how much of that will be going for the new spectrum. I would have to think alot of it! They want to gain ground on ATT and Verizon! T-Mobile is adding about 1 million new customers every quarter. Now the big two add about 1 to 1.5 on average, but T-Mo is only half the size but adds almost 2/3 to 3/4 as many new customers. That makes it the "Fastest Growing National Wireless Carrier". Alltel, sorry you don't count sadly, your only a regional carrier.

dave73

Gameday78 said:
T-Mobile is the only carrier that owns the 1700Mhz spectrum and plans on add large areas of 700Mhz to offset its higher 3g bandwith. Mommy and Daddy (Deutsche Telekom) have invested 4 Billion in network upgrades t

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Sgt_Joker

Jan 15, 2008, 10:09 AM

Verizon best come out swinging

They need this spectrum bad, i hope they realize this!

PEZ

Verizon is not winning anything. They are going DOWN!

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jskrenes

I second that. If they want to top ATT as #1, they better win. Right now VZW brags that they have the lowest bandwidth which equates to greater distances between towers, but the 700mhz spectrum is lower.

If this auction happened a year ago, I woul...
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