Assessing success in the FCC's 700MHz auction

ASSESSING SUCCESS IN THE FCC'S 700MHZ AUCTION
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Marguerite Reardon & Anne Broache]
The Federal Communications Commission generated $19.6 billion in the 700MHz spectrum that ended Tuesday, but the true success of the auction will take months or even years to assess. There's no question that the auction, which began on January 24, was a monetary success for the government--it raised a record $19.6 billion in 261 rounds of bidding. During a conference call with reporters Tuesday after the bidding closed, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said the 700MHz auction was the most successful auction the agency has ever conducted, raising more money than all previous auctions put together, excluding the Advanced Wireless Services, or AWS, auction in 2006. Despite the obvious financial success of the auction, it will be a long time before it's clear whether the FCC was successful in achieving some of its broader policy goals, such as creating a more open wireless marketplace and a nationwide interoperable public safety wireless network. The 700MHz spectrum has long been considered the last bit of beachfront wireless real estate left in the air. The spectrum, which is being vacated by the switch to digital TV in 2009, is considered valuable because of inherent properties that allow it to propagate over long distances and penetrate walls. Some experts believe the spectrum is ideal for offering robust, affordable wireless broadband services.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9897722-7.html?tag=nefd.lede

See also --
* Public Knowledge Asks FCC Investigation of Spectrum Auction
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1462