FCC Investigation Into D Block Released

The FCC’s Inspector General has released the results of a weeks-long investigation into activities related to the non-auction of the D Block of spectrum earlier this year, concluding that discussion of a $55 million annual payment by Cyren Call and two potential bidders was not the only reason that some companies failed to bid on the frequencies. Instead, the IG found that potential bidders stated, “that the uncertainties and risks associated with the D Block, including, but not limited to, the negotiation framework with PSST, the potential for default payment if negotiations failed, and the costs of the build-out and the operations of the network, taken together, deterred each of the companies from bidding on the D Block.” Download (pdf) the remarkably detailed IG report here, and decide for yourself if another auction will ever be successful.