[opendtv] News: Wireless Auction Ends With $13.9 Billion Dollar Payday
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 11:29:46 -0400
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6373206.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2228
Wireless Auction Ends With $13.9 Billion Dollar Payday
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/18/2006 5:57:00 PM
The FCC has completed what it bills as its most successful spectrum
auction ever.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had telegraphed the end in his renomination
hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee last week, but the bids had
been coming so un-thick and slow that it's end had been predicted for
several days.
The auction of reclaimed government spectrum, which will be used for
advanced wireless services like broadband, raised $13.9 billion for
the U.S. Treasury from 104 bidders winning 1,087 licenses.
The AWS (advanced wireless services) auction had to raise at least
$2.06 billion to cover the cost of relocating current occupants.
Top bidders were T-Mobile License LLC; Cellco Partnership (Verizon
Wireless); SpectrumCo; MetroPCS AWS; and Cingular AWS.
"Although we cannot envision our lives without access to the
Internet," said Martin of the auction's completion, "I believe we are
only beginning to imagine the way mobile broadband networks will
impact our lives - - changing the business and entertainment
possibilities available to consumers."
Forty-five licenses were not sold, but the FCC can roll them into a
future auction.
One advanced wireless auction already on the books will be the one
for reclaimed TV spectrum as broadcasters translate to digital TV.
That will be prime real estate since its propagation characteristics
make it less prone to disruption from buildings and other obstacles.
The government has projected taking in some $6 billion from that
auction, but if this is any indication, that figure will be closer to
the higher end of some private prognostications, which put it closer
to $20 billion.
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