Round One of the spectrum auction concluded Wednesday with a resounding thud by coming $66 billion short of its target, at just under $23 billion. Broadcasters who were told by the FCC that their spectrum they put on the block held a much higher value to the telecom community due to their insatiable appetite for mobile broadband are now skeptical of that assessment.
Representatives for the broadcast industry were in ‘fight manager mode’ waiting for the bell for Round Two. NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton said, “NAB is surprised by the modest participation by wireless carriers in the first stage of the TV auction. Perhaps the notion of a ‘spectrum crisis’ pedaled in Washington for the last seven years is not as acute as policymakers were led to believe. We look forward to the second round of the auction where wireless carriers will be afforded another bidding opportunity.”
The FCC said the Second Round of the auction, the Reverse round, will start September 13, targeting 114mHz spectrum. See Round Two auction notice.
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