WASHINGTON � On April 13, the FCC published the closing results of the broadcast incentive auction.
Competitive carriers and new entrants like T-Mobile, Comcast and Dish Network secured most of the newly freed-up spectrum, while broadcasters secured $10 billion in compensation out of total auction revenues of $19.8 billion, according to publicknowledge.org. The auction freed up 84 MHz of spectrum nationwide, including 14 MHz for use by wireless microphones and unlicensed technologies.
One surprise from the results of the auction�was the complete lack of participation by Verizon. The company won�t be able to augment its current coverage with the low-band 600 MHz licenses that are effective in covering large areas and providing indoor coverage.
Verizon has been moving towards the use of C-RAN network architecture and small cell deployments, two- and three-carrier aggregation, MIMO and LTE-Unlicensed technology, all of which make for more efficient use of spectrum the company already controls, according to fiercewireless.com. Verizon�s leadership clearly believes the carrier doesn�t need low-band spectrum, but could still participate in mergers and acquisitions that are likely to get underway later this month, following the end of the FCC�s auction quiet period, according to the same article.
The National Association of Broadcastershas expressed its concerns about how FM radio might be negatively affected during the transition period.�
�NAB congratulates the Commission and its staff on bringing the TV auction to a successful conclusion. While today marks a major milestone, the work is far from over. Now the FCC and the broadcast industry face the unprecedented task of moving almost a thousand TV stations � far more than originally anticipated � to new channels in very tight time frames,� said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. �”NAB also remains concerned about the impact of the auction on hundreds of radio stations co-located on television towers. We look forward to working with the FCC and Congress to develop a balanced approach to repacking that is fair to all stakeholders, most importantly our tens of millions of TV viewers and radio listeners.�
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