Verizon Wireless Wins C-Block
The FCC has announced the winners of the anonymous 700 MHz auction that ended on Tuesday, and it appears that Verizon Wireless has come out on top. The company, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and British telecom giant, Vodaphone group, won almost all the licenses in the spectrum's C-Block, including licenses that cover every region of the U.S. save Alaska. The C-Block is subject to "open access" rules that will allow network customers to use any phone or software they want.
AT&T was a top bidder along with Verizon. Google also made a bid for the C-Block licenses, but it wasn't enough to win. In fact, Google did not win any licenses, so despite the rumors, it will not be entering the mobile phone market. Although the auction raised a record $19 billion, it did not spur on competition the way the FCC had hoped. One newcomer, Frontier Wireless, which is owned by EchoStar Communications Inc., did win nearly enough licenses for a nationwide network.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin also ordered an investigation into why there were no winning bids on the D-Block of the spectrum. The D Block was intended to be shared between public-safety and consumer users, with first-responders having priority access during emergencies. Only one bid was made on the D Block license and it fell far short of its $1.3 billion reserve price.
[via NY Times]
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