FCC Ponders 1-Bid Spectrum Results

FCC chair Kevin Martin has ordered an investigation into reports of a meeting between officials of Frontline Wireless and Cyren Call before bidding began on public safety spectrum last month, to determine if there was any improper conduct that affected bidding on public safety spectrum. The commission will also formally consider what action to take after the D Block received just one $472 million bid from Qualcomm, which did not meet the FCC’s $1.3 billion minimum. The entire auction collected $19.6 billion from AT&T, Verizon and a host of smaller wireless carriers. Verizon won the C Block, which the FCC required to be an open-access allocation, and could provide interesting devices and services for consumers and businesses. In a statement, the FCC said the public safety allocation would not be included in the next spectrum auction, but that the FCC was, “committed to making this spectrum available for use quickly after the DTV transition” that occurs in Feb., 2009. Download (pdf) the FCC’s short statement on D Block here, and the order not to immediately re-auction the D Block here. Lastly, read (pdf) some Commissioners’ statements on the public safety auction results: Copps / Adelstein.