Scriv, very good news and congrats. BTW, I'm still waiting for your update on your BreezeAccess VL upgrade? Brad
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:35 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC wireless auction raises almost $13.9 bln We won an AWS license in our area! :-) Scriv Dawn DiPietro wrote: > FCC wireless auction raises almost $13.9 bln > > Last Update: 5:13 PM ET Sep 18, 2006 > > (Adds quote in third paragraph and details about Verizon in sixth and > seventh paragraphs.) > WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Federal Communications Commission on > Monday wrapped up an auction of licenses to provide new wireless > services, generating almost $13.9 billion in gross proceeds and > handing T-Mobile USA Inc. the capacity it needs to compete with larger > rivals. > T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG (DT), was the top bidder, > bidding almost $4.2 billion for 120 licenses. Verizon Wireless agreed > to pay $2.8 billion for 13 licenses. A consortium that includes cable > giants Comcast Corp. (CMCSA, CMCSK) and Time Warner Inc. (TWX), along > with Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), agreed to pay almost $2.4 billion for > 137 licenses. As a result of their aggressive early moves, many > potential new players were squeezed out of the game before it got going. > "The dream of new entrants that would shake up the market died," said > Roger Entner, an analyst for technology research firm Ovum. "The usual > suspects have won." > The last time an FCC auction drew more bidding was in 2001, when > regulators reauctioned some licenses they had repossessed from > NextWave Telecom Inc. But in 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the > FCC had improperly reclaimed the licenses, returning control to > NextWave and invalidating the auction. > This time, T-Mobile had the most at stake. Although it is the > fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier, it has lacked the capacity to > upgrade its network to run third-generation, or 3-G services. The new > licenses will put T-Mobile in a more competitive position. > Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, will likely sit on its spectrum. The No. > 2 wireless carrier, a joint venture between Verizon Communications > (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), has a next-generation network > called Evolution-Data Optimized, or EV-DO. It doesn't need to use the > new spectrum for that network. Verizon Wireless is seen using the > spectrum for wireless technology that is further down the line, > although it's unclear what that technology may be. > A spokesman for Verizon Wireless wasn't immediately available for > comment. > Smaller carriers were able to expand their coverage from select cities > to a much larger area. For example, Leap Wireless International Inc. > (LEAP), a smaller, regional company, won 99 licenses, bidding $710 > million for airwaves covering cities including Washington D.C., > Philadelphia, Baltimore, and St. Louis. > "Leap's push to acquire more spectrum in new high-growth market > clusters located in urban and suburban areas such as Baltimore, > Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia will help it withstand the > continuous competitive pressure from larger... competitors such as > Sprint-Nextel and Verizon," Jessica Zufolo, an analyst at research > firm Medley Advisors, wrote in a note to clients. > The U.S. Treasury will receive just $13.7 billion from its latest > auction because of rules that permit small companies to earn discounts > of as much as 25%. > > http://tinyurl.com/j77nv > > --- > --- > -- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ **************************************************************************** ******** This footnote confirms that this email message has been scanned by PineApp Mail-SeCure for the presence of malicious code, vandals & computer viruses(191). **************************************************************************** ******** **************************************************************************** ******** This footnote confirms that this email message has been scanned by PineApp Mail-SeCure for the presence of malicious code, vandals & computer viruses(43). **************************************************************************** ******** -- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
