26 Oct 2016

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has confirmed that bidding for Stage Three of the 600MHz Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction (‘Auction 1002’) will commence on 1 November. The so-called ‘Reverse Auction’ will begin with a single, four-hour round that day and then proceed for three days with two, two-hour rounds. If required, the auction format will be tweaked to comprise three one-hour rounds per day, week commencing Monday 7 November.

As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Stage Two of Auction 1002 came to an abrupt end earlier this month after a single round of bidding. In total, bidders offered USD21.520 billion for TV broadcasters’ airwaves in the so-called ‘Forward Auction’, far short of the USD54.586 billion ‘clearing cost’ that was necessary to bring the proceedings to a definitive end.

A total of 62 companies registered to participate in the process, including mobile giants Verizon Wireless (bidding as Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless), AT&T Mobility (AT&T Spectrum Holdings) and T-Mobile US, while Sprint Corp opted to sit out the process. In addition, cable giant Comcast is bidding under the CC Wireless name, while satellite TV firm DISH Network is bidding as ParkerB.com Wireless.