The Uncarrier’s Unmitigated Gall

So for all the talk about “fairness” and giving the “little guys” a fair shake in the upcoming incentive auction, T-Mobile’s ulterior motives were confirmed in a manner not unlike the villain’s grand unmasking in the Scooby Doo cartoons. As if to say, “My scheme would’ve worked if not for those meddling kids…” T-Mobile filed yet another proposal at the Federal Communications Commission. In case you’re keeping score that makes three (at least) different proposals by T-Mobile that ask the American taxpayer to subsidize its spectrum buys. Ruh roh.

T-Mobile wants the FCC to change the auction rules so the set-aside will kick in earlier in the auction. Why? To limit competing bids in order to keep the price it would pay for spectrum as low as possible. Giving T-Mobile a sweet deal was not the purpose of the incentive auction. The purpose of this incentive auction is to create incentive for broadcasters to sell their spectrum, make the spectrum available to wireless carriers that are willing to put that spectrum to the best use possible for consumers, and to give the American taxpayer the best return on the auction.