Da-Chief
03-22-2008, 07:46
http://i.dslr.net/urls/81/2181.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Public-Safety-Network-Reviewed-by-Congressional-Hearings-92870)
The FCC s 700 MHz auction is now complete (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92778) and there were no major surprises when the anonymous results were released. Verizon and AT&T gained (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92824) the pieces of spectrum that they were expected to gain. Google (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92842) bid to lose. And the D-block spectrum failed to meet its reserve bidding price so it wasn t auctioned off.
That latter situation has caused much conversation and controversy throughout the auction. Many say that it s necessary to find a way to create a public safety broadband network. However this threatens existing local public safety networks which have required the investment of significant amounts of public money to be established. U.S. Congressional leaders are planning (http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905201) to hold hearings to determine what should be done with this part of the spectrum and how to move forward with the public safety network.
One Congressman intends to hold a hearing to discuss moving forward with the network and hopes that the FCC will be amenable to re-auctioning the block of spectrum set aside for this purpose. Another Congressman specifically wants a hearing designed to look at whether a minimum reserve price is really necessary in this type of auction (since the high price is the reason that the bidding wasn t successful). The FCC has made no statements yet as to how it specifically plans to proceed.
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The FCC s 700 MHz auction is now complete (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92778) and there were no major surprises when the anonymous results were released. Verizon and AT&T gained (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92824) the pieces of spectrum that they were expected to gain. Google (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/92842) bid to lose. And the D-block spectrum failed to meet its reserve bidding price so it wasn t auctioned off.
That latter situation has caused much conversation and controversy throughout the auction. Many say that it s necessary to find a way to create a public safety broadband network. However this threatens existing local public safety networks which have required the investment of significant amounts of public money to be established. U.S. Congressional leaders are planning (http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905201) to hold hearings to determine what should be done with this part of the spectrum and how to move forward with the public safety network.
One Congressman intends to hold a hearing to discuss moving forward with the network and hopes that the FCC will be amenable to re-auctioning the block of spectrum set aside for this purpose. Another Congressman specifically wants a hearing designed to look at whether a minimum reserve price is really necessary in this type of auction (since the high price is the reason that the bidding wasn t successful). The FCC has made no statements yet as to how it specifically plans to proceed.
More...