We think 700 MHz is one of the best slices of spectrum wireless providers could hope for, and the latest auction bids verify that. The FCC expected a top of $15 Billion in bids, but as of Friday afternoon they have blown right past that. The auction is "blind", so we won't know who is leading the bidding until the fat lady sings. Other news sources anticipate Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Google to be the major players, but we are looking toward a Dark Horse, hoping it's someone like Alltel.
Bidders from the 2006 AWS auction may now be looking at their 1750/2500 MHz spectrum purchases as bargains. There could be some real premiums to be paid for 700 MHz space and the dynamics may have yet to be felt. The "C" spectrum, the nationwide channels, has yet to reach its minimum bid, but could get new life when the major players find they've been outbid in smaller markets. The "D" spectrum comes with Public Safety strings attached that nobody seems to want...that is until all the other frequencies get bid too high, and the D zone goes from looking like a problem to an opportunity.
Remember when "dual-band" phones were a big deal and "Quad-band" phones were essential for international travelers? "Sex-band" phones may be the next essential. "Sex" means six, right?
2 comments:
Even better than "sex-band"--won't the world travelers need an octo[pus]-phone for universal international use (700-800-900-1700-1800-1900-2100-2500)
How true! I was looking forward to telling people I have a "Sex-Band" phone, but it may raise just as many eybrows when I claim I must use an "octopus" to go 'around the world.'
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