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700 MHz Auction 16 January 2008
FCC announces rules and date for 700 MHz auction
Its official. The FCC released rules for the 700 MHz auction the other day (August 20, 2007). Its actually exciting stuff for us wireless nuts. Most importantly, a date has been set for the auction and it is 16 January 2008. A number of efforts have been made to ensure anonymity of bids to prevent "gaming" of the auction by deeper pocketed players. US taxpayers will be pleased to know that reserve pricing for a variety of bands in the auction start at $1 billion with the Block D requiring $4.6 billion (its nationwide and offers 10 MHz). Total reserve pricing for Auction 73 is set at over $10 billion.
As I have said many times in this blog "don't speculate on spectrum". A year ago, many thought that 2.5 GHz was the only spectrum suitable for WiMAX in the US. Today, service providers can choose from 2.5 GHz, 3.65 GHz, 5.2/5.4/5.8 GHz and 700 MHz. This is welcome news to emerging WiMAX service providers, rural telcos, WISPS and municipalities.
Service providers-are you ready to bid? Vendors-have you done your product/market analysis?
Frank Ohrtman
Corrections
2. Not sure that the WiMAX Forum has formally addressed the 700Mhz spectrum for WiMAX. I expect that it will do that shortly but nothing yet.
I am also sure Sprint/Clearwire will be watching what happens with 700Mhz in that it will be a direct competitor to their licensed 2.5Ghz networks. 700Mhz will have far greater reach and in building (and through foliage)penetration then 2.5Ghz.
Jacomo