Last Friday, the FCC released its approved bidder list for the ongoing 600 MHz spectrum auction which includes 28 companies who have been given “rural wireless bidding credits,” reports telecompetitor.com. These credits will enable rural carriers to submit bids that are 15% higher than they will actually have to pay in order to obtain spectrum.
Phase 1 of the auction concluded last month, and Phase 2, in which carriers bid on spectrum television stations are willing to relinquish, is expected to begin next month. Spectrum used for television is well suited for rural deployment due to its wide-ranging propagation, decreasing the number of towers needed to cover a large area.
All major carriers, except for Sprint, are on the approved vendor list. Below is the list of carriers who have been approved for these credits:
- Agri-Valley Communications
- Bluegrass Consortium
- Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation
- CT Cube, L.P.
- CWW Consortium
- E. Ritter Communications Holdings, Inc.
- East Kentucky Network LLC
- Farmers Telephone Cooperative
- Inland Cellular LLC
- Iowa RSA 2 Limited Partnership
- Mutual Telephone Company of Sioux Center, Iowa
- NE Colorado Cellular
- NEIT Services LLC
- Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company
- Panhandle Telecommunication Systems
- PBP Consortium
- Pine Belt Cellular
- Pine Cellular Phones
- Pioneer-Next-Tech Wireless-Rural Tel Consortium
- Plateau Telecommunications
- Polar Communications Mutual Aid Corporation
- Sagebrush Cellular
- SAL Spectrum LLC
- SI Wireless LLC
- Smith Bagley
- Triangle Communication Systems
- Union Telephone Company
- WCTA Wireless
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