The broadcast incentive auction has begun

The FCC’s 2016 broadcast incentive auction began on March 29. The first-ever two-sided auction encourages broadcasters to sell spectrum, which will then be sold in a separate auction to wireless carriers. According to the FCC, It was “designed to allow market forces to make available high-quality low-band spectrum for mobile broadband.”

The outcome of the auction is uncertain. Will enough broadcasters participate? Will wireless carriers pay the prices broadcaster demand? What impact will the the FCC’s reserve rule have on the auction, rules that effectively guarantee T-Mobile a portion of the this very valuable spectrum?

Certainly, wireless carriers need more spectrum to meet skyrocketing consumer demand.  We’re all watching whether the FCC’s rules lead to a fair, transparent auction that allocates available spectrum to those carriers that value it most.

Broadcast Incentive Auction (FCC, Mar. 29, 2016)

T-Mobile seen as winner in Sprint's decision to bow out of 600 MHz incentive auction (FierceWireless, Sept. 28, 2015)

T-Mobile’s privileged and unfair position (Speed Matters, Feb. 20, 2015)