Spectrum Auction Closes, No Public Safety Winner

The FCC has closed the spectrum auction that included the sale of Block D, without a winner for an allocation in the 700 MHz band intended to create a nationwide public safety radio network. The no-win situation creates uncertainty about what steps the FCC will now take to allocate the spectrum. It also puts into doubt whether a nationwide public safety network is feasible. Overall, the auction brought in over $19 billion. But the public safety block received just one quick bid of $472,042.000. Over the remaining 38 days of the auction, no other bidder stepped forward, and the FCC’s minimum bid requirement was never met. The identities of the bidders, including the public safety bidder, won’t be revealed until later, the FCC says.