700MHz filing deadline: What's next?

希望在美国联邦通信委员会即将举行的700MHz拍卖中出价的公司在周一的计划上大大沉默了提交申请的截止日期。

Googleon Friday announced it plans to bid on the spectrum, often called "beach front" property because it can carry无线broadband signals three to four times farther than some other spectrum bands. AnAT&Tspokesman on Monday confirmed the company's earlier statements saying it intends to bid.

AVerizon Wireless发言人拒绝对公司的竞标计划发表评论。9月份Verizon向FCC提出了一个诉讼，因为它的开放式要求约为62MHz频谱中的大约三分之一，以便于1月下旬开始拍卖。但上周该公司宣布它将在2008年开始将其现有网络与外部无线设备和应用程序开放。因此，Verizon对FCC类似的开放式规则的反对似乎已经消退。

Sprint Nextel does not plan to participate, a spokesman said. "Sprint has all the spectrum it needs to meet its strategic business needs," spokesman Scott Sloat said.

Startup Frontline Wireless, made up of wireless industry and government veterans, has also indicated it plans to bid in the auctions. There could be dozens of other bidders, including regional wireless carriers andbroadband提供者。

What happens now?

FCC计划于12月28日举行拍卖申请人的名称。对于第一次，FCC正在进行匿名竞标过程，因此不会透露频谱申请人的哪些部分旨在出价。

拍卖会在1月24日开始，但他们可能持续数周。只要投标人继续竞标就继续拍卖;FCC的最后一次主要拍卖是2006年其先进的无线服务拍卖，持续了大约五周。如果在频谱部分不足，则FCC将重新拍卖这些乐队。

拍卖每天用多轮进行电子方式进行，随着竞选活动加热的较短时曲线的时间框架。

Why is this auction important?

The 700MHz auctions represent the last large chunk of spectrum available for the FCC to auction in the foreseeable future. In addition, the spectrum, now used to carry over-the-air television signals, can be used to carry long-range wireless broadband traffic. Many people, including FCC Chairman Kevin Martin have said the auction represents a golden opportunity to create a nationwide broadband network in competition with the providers of cable modem and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and fiber-based services.

Some consumer groups have called the auctions the "last, best hope" for a third pipe that competes with cable operators such as Comcast and DSL and fiber-based providers such as AT&T and Verizon Communications.

While many observers see the spectrum as optimal for wireless broadband, some carriers may use it for traditional wireless voice traffic as well. Some plans for the spectrum will likely include networks that merge traditional wireless voice with high-speed data services. Google seemed to be headed in that direction when it launched an open-development handset coalition in early November.

In addition, about 20MHz of spectrum will go toward a nationwide voice and data network for public safety agencies, including police and fire departments. The U.S. Congress set aside about half of that spectrum for a public safety umbrella group, and the other half will be auctioned, with the winning bidder required to build a nationwide network that serves commercial and public-safety needs.

Several lawmakers and public-safety officials pushed hard for the spectrum after communication problems during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. and later disasters. Public-safety agencies, using a wide variety of devices on different bands of spectrum, weren't able to communicate with each other.

除了为公共安全网络设想语音和数据网络，不要求投标人建立某些类型的网络。并且客户利用大约三分之一的频谱的开放式规则很可能将各种设备连接到网络。除此之外，FCC在大部分频谱上都需要基于地理或基于人口的建立要求。

What's being auctioned?

出售是700MHz带的62MHz。In late 2005, after a decade of debate, Congress passed a law requiring U.S. TV stations to move to all-digital broadcasts and abandon analog spectrum between channels 52 and 69. The deadline for TV stations to end broadcasts in the 700MHz band is February 2009.

频谱被分解为five blocks。The C block, a 22MHz of spectrum that has the open-access rules, is broken up into 12 regional licenses across the U.S. A bidder can win one or more of those regional licenses.

The A block is 12MHz, broken up into 176 smaller regions called economic areas, as is the 6MHz E block. The 12MHz B block is broken up into 734 local areas called cellular market areas. Again, bidders can win multiple regional or local licenses.

Finally, 10MHz of spectrum in the D block, paired with about 10MHz set aside for public safety, is a nationwide license.

Congress has budgeted the auctions to raise at least US$10 billion, but many observers expect them to cost much more. The FCC set the reserve price for the C block of spectrum at $4.6 billion.