Spectrum

The FCC is auctioning off 126 MHz in the 600 MHz band. As noted in my recent critique to that attorney who seems to be technically clueless in my opinion, 600 MHz bends around corners! And 126 MHz at 100 bps/Hz and a reuse factor of 10-50 in a multibeam environment one gets a phenomenal capacity, in basements!

As noted in Telegeography:

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the 600MHz Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction (‘Auction 1002’), which commenced on 16 August, has generated bids worth USD10.588 billion after five rounds of bidding. Round six is scheduled to commence today (Friday 19 August). As expected, spectrum allocations covering New York and Los Angeles have attracted the highest bids thus far, followed by the likes of Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore-Washington, DC and Philadelphia. Interest in smaller markets has already began to wane, however, sources have noted. The current Auction 1002 ‘Forward Auction’ was preceded by a ‘Reverse Auction’ between the FCC and the TV broadcasters that held the 600MHz spectrum. This process saw the ‘clearing cost’ for 126MHz of spectrum established at USD86.423 billion, seriously exceeding analyst expectations. If that figure is not met in the Forward Auction, the FCC will reduce the amount of spectrum it will free up and resume bidding with TV broadcasters in a second stage of the Reverse Auction.

 The FCC has a rather obscure auction process, backward and forward, but as of now it has topped $11 billion.

Fierce Wireless states:

The generic license blocks offered in the initial stage during the forward auction under this band plan will consist of a total of 4030 "Category 1" blocks (zero to 15 percent impairment) and a total of 18 "Category 2" blocks (greater than 15 percent and up to 50 percent impairment). The FCC said approximately 97 percent of the blocks offered for the forward auction will be "Category 1" blocks, and 99 percent of the "Category 1" blocks will be zero percent impaired. These figures likely will cheer wireless carriers and other auction bidders since unimpaired spectrum can be used more quickly.

 This can be a game changing play. Watch the process.