Up next on the FCC spectrum auction block: 700MHz band

We know, jostling over the almighty 700MHz band may not be as exciting as tossing in your bid for the one and only PowerFest '94 cartridge, but for wireless providers and startups alike, this one is big. The FCC has finally announced technical specifications for the upcoming 700MHz band auction, which is being dubbed the "most valuable available slice of radio-frequency spectrum," but are holding out on the anxious bidders by "not deciding exactly how the spectrum will be divided and sold off." The Congressional Budget Office has reckoned that "as much as $15 billion" could be added to the federal treasury as a result of the auction, as the swath of airwaves in the 700MHz range is being "vacated by television broadcasters as they make the transition to digital TV," which makes for "prime territory for providing advanced wireless broadband services." The FCC Chairman was quoted as saying that this auction would hopefully enable a "third pipe to the home" to be constructed in order to provide "affordable broadband to all Americans." If all this sounds interesting, and you've got billions laying around collecting dust, it sounds like you're in for quite the battle come auction time.

[Forrest @ Apr 27th 2007 12:05PM]

From Title 47 Section 151 of the US Code c. 1934:


"For the purpose of regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges, for the purpose of the national defense, for the purpose of promoting safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications..."

15 billion dollars, eh? Not exactly available to 'all' the people of the United States I'd say :P

[andy @ Apr 27th 2007 12:25PM]

I wonder if they would take a check....




Personally, I NEED some terrestrial internet competition (for gaming). Charter ping times are in the seconds here, and I can't get DSL at all. Living way out in the boonies of suburban St. Louis sucks. Internet was better when I actually lived on a farm. We had DSL and the option of terrestrial wireless from the power company (768kbps max, but that's more than I get from charter).

[Rick @ Apr 27th 2007 12:30PM]

No one is stopping you from trying to raise that money and buy it. In that sense, it is available. By your logic, BMWs aren't exactly available to everyone either because they don't have the cash on hand.

Freedom to buy doesn't have a thing to do with your means.

[Forrest @ Apr 27th 2007 12:46PM]

Oh, I agree with you. Nobody is stopping anyone from pulling together that cash and making a bid.

But the words 'reasonable charges' appear in that mandate too. Reasonable charges for the consumer using those communication services? That's probably the intent. But those charges might be a bit more 'reasonable' if the service providers didn't pay so much for their spots in the spectrum.

[louie @ Apr 27th 2007 12:47PM]

I really don’t get it. This argument should really go beyond the scope of home entertainment. The Blu Ray is a God-send to anyone who requires a ton of PC storage.

Blu Ray is a new technology which can fit 2-3 HD DVD's on them (and growing). It’s truly a revolutionary storage medium which goes beyond a format just for movies, but for computer storage as well. Every PC manufacturer should be ecstatic about Blu Ray and the portable storage possibilities unheard of just a year ago.

And Microsoft (x box) is pulling for HD DVD… for what? It seems that HD DVD will end up limiting the size of the game. What will happen when games require >30gigs? Game producers would enjoy designing with highly detailed graphics, large robust worlds, with insane realism, without the constraints of disk space.

HD DVD’s idea was to take a DVD disk and crunch the “grooves” to make a DVD disc handle the new 1080p (and succeeded). But Blu Ray is ready now be able to handle 1080p, AND the new big push for even higher definition. Blu Ray is new technology, it’s better technology. Please wait will get cheaper.

[Dixonij @ Apr 27th 2007 2:10PM]

I'm hoping you misposted, because Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has absolutely jack squat to do with radio-frequency spectrums...

[Eric @ Apr 27th 2007 1:05PM]

1) They are assuming the switchover will actually happen. From the speed that the broadcasters are moving to give up the analog spectrum this might happen sometime in the next decade.

2) Auctions just seem silly. This forces those who bid on it to be looking to put the most profitable service on it possible, not the best for the country at large.

Why not change the process to a RFP? Take bids and award the spectrum based on the most beneficial use of the spectrum for the general public. By auctioning it off you end up requiring that whatever go there be a pay service. So the govt get another 15 billion to pay off a little debt and my taxes go down by a few dollars a year so I can pay $30/month to Veri-comi-warner for watered down internet service and/or another 300 advertising supported TV channels.

[John @ Apr 27th 2007 1:20PM]

Nation Wide Google Network anyone?

[RyanTV @ Apr 27th 2007 1:30PM]

So $15billion into the federal treasury, huh? Great - that can fund W's war mongering for another what... 5 days?

[andy @ Apr 27th 2007 1:48PM]

You're right. This is Bush's fault.

[zacksonneborn @ Apr 27th 2007 1:56PM]

louie, first of all Blu Ray doesn't have anything to do with the FCC spectrum. Second of all you don't really know what you're talking about. HD-DVD has a 51gb disc, it's not limited to 30gb. Second of all, Blu Ray and HD-DVD use the same blue laser to read and write the data, the only difference being how they are packed. Blu Ray isn't all that it's hyped up to be, and Blu Ray and HD-DVD aren't limited to 1080p, and in fact have nothing to do with resolution at all. kthx

[Ladderless @ Apr 27th 2007 3:43PM]

Isn't part of this money going to consumers in the form of $40 coupons for digital receivers?

[nicho @ Apr 27th 2007 3:49PM]

Dunno if this is a good thing.
Within in the next 6-10 years the broadcasters will find the customers demanding HD broadcasts and find that the frequencies they once had that could cope with the bandwidth are no longer available.

[Kevin @ Apr 27th 2007 4:52PM]

Yet another incompatible spectrum to set the US apart from the rest of the world.

[Eric @ Apr 28th 2007 1:00AM]

Sadly, the whole HDTV debacle started with the idea that first responders should have their own spectrum for 2 way radios. The FCC proposed taking away a few MHz of spectrum from the broadcast television UHF band (as was done for AMPS cellular), so that it would be easy for police, fire and medical personnel to communicate. This was in the late 1980's, well before 9/11 showed just how bad intercommunication between these groups really is. The broadcasters all said they needed the extra spectrum for HDTV, which would require twice the bandwidth. The FCC said, fine, go ahead with HDTV and we're still taking away bandwidth. Been a mess ever since, and the first responders STILL don't have a common band. Shame on the FCC. Shame on the congress.

[ibell63 @ Apr 28th 2007 9:44PM]

This might sound very simplistic, but this is how I think about it:

I hate how the FCC thinks they have the right to "auction off" radio frequencies like they own them or somthing. I know it's a question as to who owns the radio frequencies before they are allocated, but I don't think the FCC does. Maybe they should distribute the money evenly as tax credits to american citizens? I mean, we're the ones that have to deal with all the RFI and the potiental health problems, etc. Just an Idea.

Ian