Bidding began Wednesday in the FCC’s auction of 28 GHz licenses — the first auction of 5G spectrum. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are among the 40 companies qualified to bid for county-sized licenses, largely in rural areas. Two licenses, each comprised of 425 MHz of spectrum, are being auctioned for some 1,500-plus counties.
Total bids for day one were $41,693,960 for 2,065 licenses. Most of the money, $36,428,510, was bid in round one. Round two bids totaled $5,265,450. Some 1,000 licenses did not receive bids.
In round one, the highest bids were $810,000, each in Honolulu. Those were followed by $714,000 bids in Kern, CA, and $659,000 in Hildalgo, TX. In round two, the highest bids were $791,000 each in Hildalgo, TX. Those were followed by $504,000 bids in Volusia, FL, and $440,000 in York, PA.
Round three bidding begins at 10 a.m. this morning. The FCC estimated at a minimum, the auction would raise about $40 million.
FCC Commissioners were glad to see the auction begin. Chairman Ajit Pai said the spectrum, “will be critical in deploying 5G services and applications.” Commissioner Brendan Carr said spectrum used for next-gen wireless will unleash faster broadband, autonomous cars, smart ag, telehealth and the Internet of Things.
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, too, praised the start of the auction, noting the U.S. follows South Korea, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Australia in this regard. She again called for an auction calendar, “that states clearly to the entire wireless ecosystem—from existing providers to new spectrum interests to manufacturers and consumers—just when and how the FCC will auction new airwaves to support 5G services.” Comments? Email us.
November 15, 2018
