BROWSING: Policy

700 MHz auction: Focus remains on a decreasing number of licenses

The grind is on. After topping the $19 billion mark yesterday -- prodded by some arm-twisting from the Federal Communications Commission -- the 700 MHz auction resumed this morning with a trio of rounds, each slower than the previous one. Round 41 was good...

700 MHz: $19B and counting: B, E Blocks maintain center stage, tussle breaks out over Alaska C Block

The Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz auction slowly crawled past the $19 billion mark this afternoon. Bidders laid down 203 bids during round 40, the last round of the day, adding $19.7 million to a total auction pot of $19.02 billion.Click here for complete...

Is the end in sight?: Auction 73 slows as FCC prods bidders

Sensing a slowdown in the proceedings, the Federal Communications Commission instituted its so-called "Stage Two Transition" beginning with this morning's round 36, effectively requiring 700 MHz auction participants to keep bidding or quit the game. The rule stipulates that bidders must be active on...

Slow and low: Auction 73 bidding continues to crawl: E Block may not reach reserve price

Apparently it wasn't a Super Bowl hangover. Bidding in the Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz spectrum auction continued to slow today as bidders placed only 582 new bids during five rounds, adding just over $113 million to the auction's total haul. That number is...

Bush proposes spectrum fees on ATC networks

The Bush administration proposed imposing spectrum fees on the cellular element of hybrid mobile satellite service networks as part of s $3.1 trillion budget sent to Congress. MSS operators are banking on the ancillary terrestrial component, or ATC, to revive an industry sector that...

Individual C-Block licenses push past package price: FCC’s Web glitch postpones final round

The 700 MHz spectrum auction took another unexpected turn today as bidding on individual C-Block licenses usurped the previous high bid for a package of eight C-Block licenses covering the 50 states. While the Federal Communication Commission's Auction 73 continues to operate under blind-bidding...

Hedgehogging: hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.

If Google does manage to exit the 700 MHz spectrum auction with a substantial chunk of airwaves, it will be interesting to see what it plans to do with it. Most observers said they would be surprised if Google were to win spectrum; most...

Auction total passes $18B: Action centers on A and B Blocks

Bidding in the Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz auction continued to slow throughout today, though enough money has been thrown around to push total potential winning bids past $18.5 billion after round 26. Auction 73 is now set for a well-deserved weekend break, after...

Auction bids slow, but money continues rolling in: Martin optimistic D Block will reach reserve, but open for alternatives

Compared with yesterday, when potential winning bids added more than $4 billion to the bottom line, bidding early today in the Federal Communication Commission's 700MHz spectrum auction looked downright sleepy. Although bidders dumped another $1.8 billion in bids into the auction through the first...

C Block gathers dust while A and B Blocks gather coin: $4.7B may be the winning bid for open-access spectrum

After 21 rounds the Federal Communications Commission's auction of 1,099 spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band swept past the $15 billion mark, and it does not look like its slowing down anytime soon. The $15 billion point was at the high end of...

C-Block action could slow: Reserve reached, open access becomes reality

Following a few tense rounds without any bids, the nationwide package of eight C-Block licenses picked up a new bid during round 17 to push the potential winning price for the block past the $4.6 billion reserve mark, thereby triggering the spectrum's open-access provision....

Game on: A Block hits reserve price, C Block action comes to abrupt halt

In addition to more money piling into the coffers of the U.S. Treasury, the latest round of bidding in the Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz auction has injected some intrigue into the proceedings. Following a steady climb to the $4.6 billion reserve price set...

$10B and counting: 700 MHz auction hits 11-digit mark

Following 14 rounds of bidding during the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz spectrum auction, also known as Auction 73, pre-auction forecasts of between $10 billion and $15 billion in total winning bids are spot on. The auction of 1,099 licenses surpassed the $10 billion...

Bids near $8.7B after a dozen rounds: C Block inches closer to open-access trigger

Prior to the gavel falling on the beginning of the Federal Communication Commission's highly-anticipated 700 MHz spectrum auction, word on the street was that the FCC would be looking at between $10 billion and $15 billion in total winning bids for the 1,099 licenses...

Interest intensifies during round 10, B Block reserve met: Copps: We have no backup plan if D Block remains untouched

Another couple of rounds, another $1.3 billion. So went rounds nine and 10 of the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz auction this morning, where potential winning bids for 989 of the 1,099 spectrum licenses up for grabs reached nearly $7.4 billion. And those participating...

Auction action heats up: Potential winning bids surge past $6B

After a soft opening during rounds five and six early Monday, bidders in the Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz auction turned up the heat in the afternoon, sending potential winning bids for the 967 licenses that have garnered interest to past the $6 billion...

Bids top $4.4B after round six: C Block remains highest priced, D Block not feeling the love

The Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz spectrum auction picked up early this morning with a pair of bidding rounds that saw that total potential winning bids climb to just over $4.4 billion. Highlights included continued interest in the regional grouping of C-Block licenses, a...

700 MHz auction ends first week of bidding at $3.7B: Los Angeles generates interest in the fourth round

The Federal Communication Commission's auction of 1,099 wireless licenses in the 700 MHz band headed into an early weekend break having garnered more than $3.7 billion in potential winning bids. The auction, which had a fifth round of bidding postponed until Monday, has drawn...

700 MHz Round 3 tops $3B

The third round of the Federal Communication Commission's ongoing 700 MHz spectrum auction ended this morning with potential winning bids topping the $3 billion mark. The latest round included 1,030 new bids and pushed the total winning bids up more than 15% to $3.2...

700 MHz auction: Round 2 bids top $2.7 billion: C Block continues to draw interest, D Block passed over

The second round of the Federal Communication Commission's 700 MHz auction brought 1,122 new bids with total potential winning bids jumping nearly 15% to nearly $2.8 billion. Click here for complete 700 MHz auction coverage. The heaviest investment continues on the package of regional C-Block licenses...

700 MHz auction rings up $2.4B in first-round bids: C, D blocks licenses garner highest bids

The long-anticipated 700 MHz auction kicked off today, attracting 1,849 bids totaling more than $2.4 billion during the first round. The Federal Communications Commission, which will hold a second round of bidding today, is keeping the identities of bidders secret during the auction to...

Wall Street’s stumbles cast pall over 700 MHz auction: Verizon Wireless plans open-access development conference

On the eve of the 700 MHz auction, the economy suddenly appears to have become a major factor for bidders.Even before the bidding begins, Frontline Wireless L.L.C. -- an ambitious startup that had its sights set on the national commercial-public safety D Block --...

Let the bidding begin: Concern remains, but 700 MHz auction set

IT'S GAME TIME.The wireless industry's version of March Madness is set to tip off Jan. 24, with 214 applicants vying for 1,099 spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band being auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission.But, it will be like getting periodic scoring updates...

AT&T Mobility set to join mobile TV space

AFTER NUMEROUS DELAYS, AT&T Mobility is preparing to launch broadcast mobile TV service from MediaFLO USA Inc. in early February, according to sources close to the situation.Leaked internal documents and sources indicate that AT&T Mobility is planning to launch the service with two exclusive...