Breaking FCC approves: Airwaves to be auctioned

[RB TexLa]

WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Communications Commission has approved rules that will clear the way for the opening of the most important airwaves auction to date.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070731/tc_infoworld/90626_1

San Francisco (IDGNS) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set the conditions for next year's wireless spectrum to auction on Tuesday, putting open-access rules on a third of the spectrum.

The FCC voted to require that the winner of 22MHz of spectrum allow any wireless devices to connect to the network, meaning wireless telephone customers could bring their handset devices from other carriers. The FCC, in so-called open-access rules, also prohibited the winning bidder on the 22MHz block of spectrum from blocking or slowing wireless and Web content from competitors.

The FCC's action represented a middle ground between some telecom carriers, which wanted no conditions, and some consumer advocacy groups and Google, which called on the commission to require that winning bidders also resell the spectrum at wholesale rates to competitors. The commission declined to adopt wholesale access rules.

The FCC also addressed spectrum needs for emergency response agencies by marrying 10MHz of commercial spectrum with 12MHz of spectrum in a public-private partnership designed to create a nationwide network for police and fire departments. The FCC largely adopted a plan advanced by Frontline Wireless, a startup made up of wireless industry veterans and former FCC officials who called for a marriage of commercial bidders and public safety agencies.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. This is merely the latest of many such auctions

They've been holding these auctions from time to time since the Reagan administration.

[RB TexLa]

3. True, I just got the AP alert and shared it

Not a field I'm that knowledgeable about.

[napi21]

4. This one is different that the others though. This is the auction for

all the powerful airwaves that have been sued by TV for many years. These only become available becuse TV is switching to digital.


I don't know a LOT about this, but there was a guest on TWJ this morning talking about it.

[Lerkfish]

2. since the airwaves belong to US, I'm sure we'll all receive ourresidual checks from the sale

:sarcasm:

[napi21]

5. You do...sort of. The $$ will go into the US Treasury to help pay down

some of the enormous debt that has been run up in the last 6 years!

[KharmaTrain]

6. More, Faster Wireless Services

A sidenote...I do not approve of these "auctions" that usually end up turning into entitlements by large corporations.

That said, this auction is for expanded and improved bandwidth for the new generation of wireless devices and to segregate them from existing ones...so you can have rapid internet access of your IPhone and not have the call cut out...or allow for Internet only radios that will provide a valuable alternative to both over-the-air and satellite radio.

It's a mixed bag here as with these auctions, the government abdicates a lot of regulatory power and the money they collect on our behalf at these auctions are pennies compared to the major coin the large telcom will reap for years of dominance over "the tubes".