It seems to me the whole auction process has just continued the spirit of tainted opportunity that we have seen in America’s short history.
It makes me think of the Oklahoma land rush in particular. The area first was known as Indian Territory … where “Five Civilized Tribes” lived in the mid-1800s. The white settlers moved west and noticed the value of the land. The area was to be used for homesteads. The land would be divided by runs and lotteries.
Coincidentally, the first run took place on April 22, 1889-107 years ago today. It was a foot race to stake your claim, but as in most games, there were cheaters. The “Sooners” snuck in early to claim the choice land.
Our children go to school and learn about how the Oklahoma settlers received wonderful opportunities to build their farms and live out the American dream. Do they hear about the American Indians first being moved to Oklahoma and dying on their way there on the Trail of Tears? Do they hear that the American Indians were then squeezed to make room for the white man? Are they told about the cheaters?
In another 100 years when every single man, woman and child carries-or has implanted-some sort of wireless device, will the children be told about the “designated entity” auction that reached an unfathomable $10 billion before it was over? Will they be told how most true designated entities were forced to drop out because the entrepreneurs block auction got too rich for the entrepreneurs themselves? Will they be told of the bidders who did not disclose how much money they had and where it came from? Will they hear about how systems were delayed because after the spectrum was purchased there wasn’t enough money left to build the network?
I doubt it. They will just know that the government held wonderful spectrum auctions to provide opportunity and spread wireless communications and-oh yeah-they just happened to raise a big chunk of change for the federal deficit.
I think I have to agree with George Gilder and Harold O’Dell. I remember when I first heard of spectrum auctions and all I could think is that it sounded like a wonderful way for the government to make a lot of money without doing anything at all.
I would not dispute that spectrum must be distributed in some way and managed and that the Federal Communications Commission is the obvious body to manage it, but with the C-block auctions going over the $10 billion mark haven’t things gotten more than ridiculous? Shouldn’t the proliferation of wireless technology be the ultimate goal here?
