FCC Reverses Again on 600MHz

FCC looks to sell off a smaller chunk of low-band spectrum.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

September 15, 2016

1 Min Read
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The FCC has gone back to TV broadcasters to try and set a price for a reduced amount of 600MHz low-band spectrum to be auctioned for mobile broadband use.

The new "reverse auction" started on September 13 to set the price for 114MHz of 600MHz spectrum to be sold. The first stage of bids for 126MHz of 600MHz didn't reach the target price of $86.4 billion. (!)

"A second stage forward auction will follow the conclusion of the reverse," Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Tom Wheeler told Congress this week. We don't yet know when this will happen.

"Getting the transition right is as important as getting the auction itself right," Wheeler told Congress. "We continue to prioritize planning for an efficient and effective transition with minimal disruption to the viewing public. With the continued engagement of industry stakeholders, that’s exactly what we'll get."

What that means is that it will take 39 months to get the broadcasters off the spectrum after the auction is completed. We don't yet know when the auction will be finished.

For more:

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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