Spectrum for Sale

SPECTRUM FOR SALE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amol Sharma amol.sharma@wsj.com and Amy Schatz Amy.Schatz@wsj.com]
Satellite companies, cable providers and small telephone companies are vying for stakes in a precious slice of the nation's airwaves as they seek to provide the wireless Internet and phone services that consumers increasingly demand. The Federal Communications Commission will kick off one of its largest auctions of radio spectrum next Wednesday, and dozens of companies -- including many that aren't traditional wireless-industry players -- have qualified to bid. Cellular operators like T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless will be at the table, looking to complement their existing holdings and expand their cellular broadband services. But they'll be joined by some powerful and deep-pocketed new entrants that are aiming to offer consumers their own versions of wireless Internet and cellphone service within a few years. The broad interest in the spectrum auction may be good news for consumers, foreshadowing more competition in the high-speed Internet-access market, which is dominated by large phone and cable companies. It could also lead to more offerings of advanced cellphone services such as music and video downloads. "You're not going to see anything overnight, but this is the first step in potentially bringing very different competitors to the marketplace," says Sharon Armbrust, senior media and telecom analyst for Kagan Research, a unit of JupiterKagan Inc. "It's a defining moment for the wireless industry."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115465230827726461.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace
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