spectrum auction

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Free Broadband Could Be Part of Feds' Auction Plan

FCC head considers plan that could have 95% of US covered in 10 years

(Newser) - The Federal Communication Commission wants you to have free Internet, the Wall Street Journal reports, and it's considering a plan to auction airwaves with the requirement that the winner offer Wi-fi free to most of the US. The free access would come with its own strings for users, though, in...

FCC Tries Again With Unsold Spectrum

Officials will take public comment before issuing revised plan

(Newser) - The Federal Communications Commission will try again to sell broadband spectrum space intended to include a national network for emergency workers, Ars Technica reports.The D Block failed to garner the required minimum bid from commercial interests during a recent auction after negotiations became bogged down. Said one commissioner: "...

Google Accused of 'Gaming' FCC Auction

Lawmakers say firm made fake bids to trigger open access

(Newser) - Republican lawmakers are charging that Google manipulated an FCC bandwidth auction to get a free ride on the airwaves, PC World reports. The internet giant is accused of bidding purely to bump up the price to a level where rules trigger open access—and then walking away, leaving Verizon to...

AT&T, Verizon Plan New WiFi in Old TV Spectrum

Telecoms envision WiFi that can penetrate deep into buildings

(Newser) - Verizon and AT&T are talking big about recent bandwidth acquisitions at an FCC auction, the Washington Post reports. The companies promised fast, high-tech new networks in the next few years based on long-range frequencies, newly available from television broadcasters, that can penetrate deep into buildings. A Verizon spokesman said...

Whew! Google Saved by the Highest Bidder

Search giant OK with not winning FCC spectrum auction

(Newser) - Google nearly became the unenthused owner of a $4.71 billion slice of wireless airwaves in a recent Federal Communications Commission auction, the New York Times reports. Its bid was part of a deal with the FCC to open some spectrum to third-party services, but for much of the bidding,...

AT&T, Verizon Will Dominate New Airwaves

Wireless spectrum auction saw no major first-time entrant

(Newser) - AT&T and Verizon were the two top bidders in the airwaves auction that ended this week, representing 80% of the FCC’s record $19.6 billion haul and positioning themselves to offer advanced wireless Internet services, reports the Wall Street Journal. Google, sans licenses, was another winner, gaining open...

FCC Airwaves Auction Sets Record
FCC Airwaves Auction
Sets Record
Mar 19, 2008 8:26 AM CDT

FCC Airwaves Auction Sets Record

But a band that required open access drew a low price

(Newser) - The FCC earned a record $19.6 billion auctioning soon-to-be-available airwaves to wireless network providers, the Wall Street Journal reports after months of bidding closed yesterday. While the auction exceeded the $15 billion the agency expected, it could have earned still more if it hadn’t placed restrictions on certain...

Big Bid Ensures Open Access Network in US

FCC auction passes $4.7B threshold; it's a win for Google

(Newser) - Google’s hopes of forcing a piece of the national radio spectrum into becoming an open access wireless network came a step closer to fruition today, Marketwatch reports. The bid price on the “C block” of 700 Mhz spectrum hit $4.7 billion, enough to trigger FCC regulations that...

Google Trio Made 20-Year Partner Pact

Investors worried about FCC bid, but honchos are thinking long-term

(Newser) - Google’s top three honchos made a pact just before their 2004 IPO to stay together at the search behemoth for at least 20 years. News of the informal agreement—which one analyst called “really very, very positive”—comes as investors fret about the company's bids in the...

Bids Top $2.8B for Wireless Spectrum

FCC's airwave auction opens with $1.24B offer

(Newser) - The Federal Communication Commission’s much-anticipated auction of five “blocks” of airwaves kicked off yesterday with first-round bids of nearly $2.8 billion, including a $1.24 billion offer for the “C” block, considered the most valuable commercially, reports Reuters. Bidders could use the 700-MHz spectrum to offer...

FCC: Economy Could Dampen Wireless Sale

In credit crunch, smaller bidders face capital shortage

(Newser) - FCC head Kevin Martin registered concern this week about the impact of the credit crunch on the government auction of wireless airwaves scheduled to begin Jan. 24, Reuters reports. The auction, which Congress has ordered to go forward, comes at a time when the meltdown of housing and subprime mortgage...

Crickets Likely at FCC Discount Airwave Auction

Main waves to draw billions, but not so for public/private spectrum

(Newser) - What if the FCC held an auction and nobody came? In 2 weeks, the government will put a  nationwide airwave on the block starting at the low, low price of $1.33 billion. The catch? The lucky winner has to share the band with emergency responders. Right now, no company...

UN Agreement May Boost US Spectrum Bids

Google, Yahoo, Apple all seen jumping into Jan. 700 Mhz auction

(Newser) - Thanks to an agreement at a month-long UN telecom conference in Geneva, the cost for rights to use new US wireless spectrum going on the block in January may have just increased. Google, Yahoo and Apple are among the companies expected to a battle for licenses to the 700 Mhz...

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