FCC Sets Spectrum Auction

From PC World:

The long-awaited auction of 700MHz 'beachfront property' is scheduled to begin in January.

Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service

Saturday, August 18, 2007 3:00 PM PDT

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will begin its long-awaited auction of 700MHz radio spectrum on Jan. 16, 2008, the agency said Friday.

The sale is expected to take in US$10 billion or more in bids for what has been called "beachfront property:" licenses for frequencies that can carry mobile data and voice services over long distances and through walls much better than current cellular spectrum. The frequencies are currently used by analog television stations, which are scheduled to turn their channels over in 2009 as they move to digital broadcasting.

Google Inc. and others asked for rules in the auction that would help new entrants get into the national wireless business, such as a requirement that the winner sell some of the spectrum wholesale to other service providers. The FCC finally watered-down rules for openness, including that one part of the band can be used by any device or application.

The agency is seeking public comments on the auction, designated Auction 73. They are due by Aug. 31.

Choice is good.

Until the next post.

Steve