The eagerly anticipated government auction of the wireless spectrum won’t start until January 24, 2008, but the intrigue and speculation already is well underway. At stake are various slices of the 700-MHz band of the broadcast spectrum, the frequency currently used for the transmission of analog television signals.
By order of Congress, those transmissions are scheduled to stop on February 17, 2009, when all television stations are required to convert their signals to digital television. The move is opening up what some are referring to as electronic “beach front property,” in recognition of the spectrum’s potential for supporting a national wireless broadband network.
It’s pricey property: The FCC set the opening bid for the coveted spectrum at $4.6 billion, and many analysts predict the final cost will be much higher. So far, only a handful of companies, including Google, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, and Frontline Wireless, have indicated that they intend to participate. Two of the largest cable companies, Comcast and Time Warner, have said that they will not be bidding.
The Cone of Silence
Monday night at 6:00 p.m. was the deadline for prospective bidders to register their interest with the Federal Communications Commission, which is running the spectrum auction. Any company that has registered for the auction is barred from discussing its participation until the entire auction is completed.
Following a review process, the FCC will announce the names of eligible bidders in late December or early January. The actual auction, conducted entirely online, will begin on January 24; a series of bidding rounds will be held until a winner is determined for each of the 1,079 spectrum licenses being offered by the FCC.
At the end of each round, the FCC will announce the amount of the current high bid, but will not announce the name of the high bidder. That information…