700MHZ public safety "D Block" might be going regional for a new FCC auction

Yeah, this does nothing for your own mobile surfing habits, but the FCC's desires to create a much-needed national wireless broadband standard for various public safety agencies are seeing a much-needed push. The safety-allotted 700MHz "D Block" didn't meet its reserve price in the auction earlier this year, since nobody thought they could manage a profit building and running a national public safety network. The new plan is to divvy up the spectrum space into regional licenses, but the FCC's auction strategy is two-fold. They've reduced the reserve price on the national network, and if a single bidder hits that $750 million pricetag the FCC will be selling the spectrum whole. Meanwhile they'll be running a piecemeal auction for 58 regional licenses, but they have to collectively pony up more than the single license auction nets. Mixed in with all this is an even more complicated winner-takes-all competition between WiMAX and LTE -- a win either way in the public sector could give the commercial proponents that edge they need in the consumer market. The FCC's going to decide on these crazy proposals on September 25th.

[From My Cube @ Sep 8th 2008 10:28AM]

Dear Mr. FCC,

I am a rich bablonian king. I would buy your D block at your highest price. Contakt me at [e-mail]. I awat your contakt.

Kind Regards,

Bablonian kin

[Dyranios @ Sep 8th 2008 10:28AM]

Oh great does this mean we can look forward to that image being recycled for the next few months once again as you follow up on this story, right up until the actual auction.

[Bdad @ Sep 8th 2008 12:24PM]

don't play hard to get, you know you love that pic.

[Benson @ Sep 8th 2008 11:57AM]

I wouldn't mine; that picture is totally full of win.

[DigitalDJ @ Sep 8th 2008 10:57AM]

* MHz (title)

[MercuryTYTN @ Sep 8th 2008 11:05AM]

Hopefully Jadakiss and L.O.X. will purchase this. 700MHz for their label.

[Ralphie @ Sep 8th 2008 12:00PM]

We get it eBay/auction.... HAHA

Please stop with this.

[Sir.Welly @ Sep 14th 2008 10:35AM]

LOL@ MercuryTYTN... I dont think JadaKiss and the Lox combined have that kind of money, they better call Diddy.

[GETYOID @ Sep 8th 2008 2:02PM]

Wireless is not secure. I have no idea why anyone uses it other than out of pure laziness to sit down at a wired PC and deal with it. Heck, they cant even properly and fully secure WIRED connections and you want me to trust my info in the air? Uh, no.

[CT A @ Sep 8th 2008 4:43PM]

Stop crying.

[andres @ Sep 8th 2008 5:58PM]

of course, im too lazy to run a cable through two walls to get my internet, when i can do it the easy way and plug in a router and a card.

[Dorville @ Sep 8th 2008 2:36PM]

This frequency will be really nice for Wimax technology, more with the coverage :)