FCC's 700 MHz Auction Raises $19.592 Billion

James E. Carroll, Editor-in-Chief

The FCC's 700 MHz auction came to an end after 261 rounds of bidding and having raised a record $19.592 billion. The names of the winning bidders have not yet been released. The proceeds will be transferred to the U.S. Treasury.


Open platform requirements will be imposed on one-third of the spectrum. This will enable consumers to use the wireless device of their choice on those networks and download whatever software or applications they want on it.


The 700 MHz auction attracted significantly higher bids than any previous FCC auction. In comparison, the 2006 Advanced Wireless Service-1 (AWS-1) Auction raised $13.9 billion.


The FCC also noted that it has established aggressive build-out requirements for the A, B, C and E blocks in the auction and will require more comprehensive service coverage than other Commission licenses.


http://www.fcc.gov