FCC's Forward Auction Closes After Only One Round

Author: 
Coverage Type: 

According to the Federal Communications Commission, the second stage of the forward portion of the FCC’s broadcast incentive auction went only one two-hour round, is now closed and the FCC will have to move to yet another round of reverse auction broadcasters bidding at a lower clearing target.

There was no one immediately available for comment, but the FCC's website said that "Bidding in the forward auction has concluded for Stage 2 without meeting the final stage rule and without meeting the conditions to trigger an extended round." That one round of the forward auction ended with only $21,519,907,210 bid. That is below the closing bid total for round one of the forward, not surprising given that there was less spectrum up for bid, though that could also have boosted the price if demand stayed the same given the reduction in supply. Clearly the $56.5 billion broadcasters were asking—this time 114 MHz (90 MHz minus the guard bands) down from 126 MHz (100 MHz minus guard bands)—was still too rich. Forward auction bidders weren't ready to up their bids from last time, and they took no time in making that clear.


FCC's Forward Auction Closes After Only One Round