FCC Airwaves Auction Ends After Reaching Minimum Price Set by Dish

In one of the least suspenseful airwaves auctions ever, the Federal Communications Commission announced that bidding for licenses sought by Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network sold for the auction’s minimum price of $1.56 billion.

It certainly isn’t the best outcome for government officials hoping to attract the most revenue possible for the airwaves. Proceeds from the auction are set to go toward funding a new mobile network for police and other first responders. Dish is the presumed winner of the airwaves licenses, according to industry analysts who’ve been watching the bidding. The FCC wouldn’t release the name(s) of the winner(s) and said it would take a few days to compile the official results. A Dish spokesman declined to comment, citing anti-collusion rules.