Five Ways US Airwaves Auction May Change Mobile Service

Verizon Communications and Dish are among 70 companies that can start bidding for blocks of radio airwaves tomorrow in a US auction designed to help get data to your mobile phone faster. Think of it as a chance for congested networks to add capacity to keep videos from YouTube and Netflix Inc. streaming smoothly to mobile phones and tablets. The Federal Communications Commission’s so-called Advanced Wireless Services auction is billed as the biggest spectrum sale in six years and may bring in $15 billion. We’ll find out the winners in a few weeks.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Consumers can get buffer-free mobile video
2. Verizon needs spectrum the most
3. T-Mobile has most to gain
4. Sprint will sit this one out
5. Dish may drive up prices