Analysts across Spectrum Financial Partners, AllNet Insights & Analytics and Moise Advisory offer a clear look at exactly what went down during Auction 103.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies

March 16, 2020

5 Min Read
In maps: Who bought what. and where, during 5G spectrum auction

The FCC released the results of its biggest-ever auction of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum last week, and Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile were the big spenders during the event.

But they weren't the only companies that purchased spectrum.

As noted by Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners, here is the full list of companies and bidding entities that purchased spectrum during the FCC's auction of licenses stretching across the 37GHz, 39GHz and 47GHz bands in an event dubbed Auction 103.

Figure 1: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Companies often participate in FCC auctions under "bidding entities." For example, Verizon bid under the "Straight Path Spectrum" entity; Verizon is listed as the "contact organization" for Straight Path Spectrum in its FCC filings.

Breaking it down
While such figures are clearly useful, they don't tell the whole story. Brian Goemmer, founder of spectrum-tracking company AllNet Insights & Analytics, offers a clear look at exactly how spectrum ownership now breaks down across the bands available during Auction 103.

Figure 2: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Brian Goemmer of AllNet Insights & Analytics) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Brian Goemmer of AllNet Insights & Analytics)

Figure 3: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Brian Goemmer, founder of spectrum-tracking company AllNet Insights & Analytics) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Brian Goemmer, founder of spectrum-tracking company AllNet Insights & Analytics)

Goemmer offers additional information on mmWave license ownership across other bands on his website.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, spectrum licenses are allocated on a geographic basis, which means that a spectrum license covering Denver cannot be used in Socorro, New Mexico. And, not surprisingly, the licenses covering Denver (with roughly 700,000 residents) are far more valuable than licenses covering Socorro (with 8,600 residents).

Thus, here are detaileds maps showing exactly how much spectrum each of the top bidders purchased, and where those licenses are geographically located, as assembled by both Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners and spectrum-tracking firm Moise Advisory.

Verizon

Figure 4: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Figure 5: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Moise Advisory) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Moise Advisory)

AT&T

Figure 6: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Figure 7: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Moise Advisory) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Moise Advisory)

T-Mobile

Figure 8: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Figure 9: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Moise Advisory) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Moise Advisory)

Columbia Capital

Figure 10: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Dish Network

Figure 11: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

U.S. Cellular

Figure 12: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Sprint

Figure 13: Click here for a bigger version of this image. (Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners) Click here for a bigger version of this image.
(Source: Stephen Wilkus of Spectrum Financial Partners)

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano

About the Author(s)

Mike Dano

Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading

Mike Dano is Light Reading's Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies. Mike can be reached at [email protected], @mikeddano or on LinkedIn.

Based in Denver, Mike has covered the wireless industry as a journalist for almost two decades, first at RCR Wireless News and then at FierceWireless and recalls once writing a story about the transition from black and white to color screens on cell phones.

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