Bids for Spectrum Near $19 Billion

BIDS FOR SPECTRUM NEAR $19 BILLION
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
The Federal Communications Commission is auctioning off several blocks of spectrum in the 700-MHz range, and total bidding for those blocks has reached $18.9 billion. The commission's goal had been $10 billion. In the closely-watched "C-block" unidentified companies continued to compete for rights to build the nation's first open wireless network. By the end of day, aggregate bids in the auction of the C Block of airwaves had exceeded the $4.7 billion bid last week. Those airwaves, in the 700-megahertz range, now used for transmitting analog television broadcasts, will be redesignated for high-speed wireless traffic. They are considered especially valuable because broadcasts on that band can carry farther than other signals. Paul Gallant, an analyst at Stanford Group, said the block of spectrum will be key to competition in high-speed wireless over the next few years. "It will help establish who has the best network and can offer the best applications to consumers," he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/05/AR2008020502918.html
(requires registration)

* Spectrum Auction: Now Comes the Action-Packed Bonus Round
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Saul Hansell]
Bidding slowed in the government’s auction of wireless spectrum Tuesday. By the fifth bidding round of the day, there were only 87 new bids, adding $6 million to the total. The total bid now totals $18.9 billion. The calm was in contrast to the auction Monday when a second bidder emerged for the C block, the block of licenses that would allow nationwide wireless service. No new bids in the C block were placed Tuesday. The Federal Communications Commission moved to push the auction forward and possibly speed up bidding. It announced that as of Wednesday morning, the auction would enter what it calls Phase 2. That means that in order to stay active in the auction, companies will need to be more active in their bidding. They must use 95 percent of their eligibility in each round, compared to 80 percent in Phase 1. That means that if someone has been bidding on one set of frequencies, hoping to scoop up what they really wanted at the last minute, Wednesday may be the day to make a move.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/spectrum-auction-now-comes-the-action-packed-bonus-round/index.html
(requires registration)

* Bidding stalls again on key U.S. wireless airwaves
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0521341420080206