Chairman Wheeler: Successful Spectrum Auction is Assured

The successful completion of the final stage rule was a going-away present of sorts for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, who exits Jan 20. Chairman Wheeler took a bow for the entire FCC team, past and present, in a statement following the announcement that the auction would close after the current stage. “The word’s first spectrum incentive auction has delivered on its ambitious promise. Reaching the Final Stage Rule means the benefits of the auction are indisputable. We will repurpose 70 MHz of high-value, completely clear low-band spectrum for mobile broadband on a nationwide basis," Chairman Wheeler said. "On top of that, 14 MHz of new unlicensed spectrum – the test bed for wireless innovation – will be available for consumer devices and new services. The auction will provide $10.05 billion to broadcast television licensees who participated and billions towards deficit reduction."

“There is still a long road ahead to successfully implement the post-auction transition of broadcast stations to their new channels and bring the new wireless and unlicensed spectrum to market. This will be an extremely important task for my successor and the new Commission; I wish them well," he said. The fact that the FCC had to reduce its spectrum clearing target from 126 MHz to 84 Mhz will mean less money for broadcasters and less spectrum for wireless operators, but it will make that repack easier given that there is much more room to repack TV stations in, which means not TV stations will be repacked into the duplex gap (between wireless uplink or downlink spectrum, or in the wireless band at all.