Comments on: FCC Reveals 700MHz Wireless Auction Bidders

By: Billionaires Can’t Keep Frontline Wireless From The Deadpool

Billionaires Can’t Keep Frontline Wireless From The Deadpool — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:50:24 +0000

[...] startup was unable to come up with the $128 million deposit needed to participate in the upcoming wireless spectrum auctions that it did so much to help shape (along with Google). With a tear in our eye, we are putting [...]

By: GTB

GTB — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:47:30 +0000

As for AT&T not having their application accepted, was everyone asleep when they recently spent 2.5 bil on 700MHz spectrum ahead of this auction, so they have no need to take part and have the jump on everyone else

By: bt

bt — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:25:20 +0000

Chevron could also be looking at the Gulf of Mexico – perhaps for their oil rigs? As for the C block, it is a big block of spectrum, but likely to go for high prices — the reserve price is over $4.6Billion for the block. It will be interesting to see the new entrants go up against the incumbents, but because of the anonymous bidding we won’t know who is who until the close of the auction. You’ll be able to watch it online, though, at auctions.fcc.gov.

By: micfo.com

micfo.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:48:47 +0000

Those rejected companies don’t know how to feel the form could have outsourced this work.

By: marc

marc — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:47:00 +0000

Chevron.

What does a “tower company” have that a country wide chain of gas stations can’t deliver pretty easily?

Gas stations are already distributed fairly nicely for coverage, are powered up and may be networked.

By: Nigel Eccles

Nigel Eccles — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:05:42 +0000

Is Vegas or anyone else taking bets on who will win the various blocks of spectrum?

I believe C block is were all the action is. It would be great to know who the favourite was to get it. I’ve noticed some analysts say that it most certainly isn’t Google.

By: Ballmer

Ballmer — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:23:24 +0000

Most of them just wanna get their names in the news.
fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

By: Angela Hayden

Angela Hayden — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:30:12 +0000

Is this the same thing I’ve been signing petitions against? Yea, so what, I might not know what I’m talking about but I sure do sign alot of petitions.

http://action.f...15;3gw22wnww53?

Open Letter to Congress

Subject: FCC Votes for Big Media: Throw the Rules Out

Send this message to:
¤ Your Senators
¤ Your Representative

Dear Members of Congress,

We write to you today to ask you to act swiftly to overturn the FCC’s Dec. 18 vote to relax media ownership rules.

We have spoken out against media consolidation in every way we know how: attending hearings, writing letters, submitting comments. However, on Dec. 18, the FCC ignored this widespread public opposition — just like it did in 2003. The FCC has turned its back on its mission and its mandate. Their decision to let Big Media get even bigger will erode localism, diminish minority ownership, and decrease competition.

Please take action now to overturn the FCC’s reckless action.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your address]

By: Tony Casson

Tony Casson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:45:17 +0000

Re-reading the news, I guess Clearwire said they were out a couple of weeks ago. So looking for McCaw’s presence in the auction may not turn up too much.

By: Tony Casson

Tony Casson — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:38:51 +0000

If Clearwire isn’t in (if they are whoever they are bidding as is non-obvious) then they are pursuing a pure white spaces strategy. Google also has cards at the white spaces table.

http://www.mark...8F33ACE46916%7D

By: Ashesh

Ashesh — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:18:30 +0000

@Eric – Craig McCaw’s company is called Fiber LLC. http://www.seci...d11MXs.2KKu.htm

I would be surprised if it didn’t make it.

By: car donation to charity

car donation to charity — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:47:37 +0000

no Google bids on this one?

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:43:10 +0000

Chevron will win this auction. We simply cannot have Google win. Would be great for our wireless/mobil bill, but terrible for the economy. What do you think about this Erick?

By: Alaska Miller

Alaska Miller — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:15:54 +0000

You guys aren’t very creative. Chevron is in the distribution business.

They’re bidding on this because of their gobs and gobs of cash on hand and they would rather invest that into something. When they outbid everyone on this, they can easily leverage it for something else. They can even work out a deal to get Google to pay them to use the spectrum.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:46:59 +0000

You all know that Google is going to win the bid, right?

By: PageRank

PageRank — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:37:25 +0000

Not filling out the form correctly is a classic strategy. It allows you to make additions/modifications after you see who is serious about bidding. You don’t see the other bids, but knowing who is in is important. Most of the major telecoms ’screwed up’ their application for just that reason. It’s a chance to up the ante after you’ve seen who folded first, and fold yourself if you need. Smart move, not stupid.

By: Bodero

Bodero — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:34:46 +0000

“Verizon Wireless was not listed under its own name in either list”

Yes they are, they’re on the Incomplete list under their corporate name, Cellco Partnership. It even lists “dba Verizon Wireless” right next to it.

By: jro

jro — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:34:29 +0000

The auction process is an interesting read. The auction is conducted “electronically” over the web, sounds like the original Google IPO.

Their documents also state that participating in the auction, if using the browser-based method, requires either MS Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or Netscape Communicator 6.0 or higher. Both need a Java plug-in in order to work. And, the Mac OS is not supported.

Good thing Steve Jobs didn’t bid on this…

By: .rb

.rb — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:57:42 +0000

How about free – ”trucker wireless” … would be many niches` -

Think about the web, any ”common product name” domain is worth a million dollars (tshirts.com, sunglasses.com, shoes.com etc….)

– now we are opening basically – wireless domains / to companies who can afford it – and niche ‘wireless domains’ to – the smaller local tel cos’

over all this is good

By: Erick Schonfeld

Erick Schonfeld — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:51:18 +0000

Yeah, I have no idea what Chevron is up to—a private wireless broadband service for gas station attendants? I just had to include them.

Rons, @4, Google did apply and was accepted. Read the post. The list is the companies that with incomplete applications.

Chris, @3, you are right, the irony of tech companies being better at filling out FCC forms than the wireless carriers is the punchline here.

By: Dan Frommer

Dan Frommer — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:48:30 +0000

Erick, Verizon Wireless is listed as “Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless,” the holding company they use to bid on spectrum.

@Chris Ragobeer: Auction begins Jan. 24, and will take months. It’s anonymous bidding, so we won’t see the bidders in progress like we did during the last auction.

By: RONLG

RONLG — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:28:47 +0000

Chevron? My thoughts exactly!

What the heck would they use it for? Well, I could think of a number of things… but really… Chevron?

By: Chris Ragobeer

Chris Ragobeer — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:24:27 +0000

Do we know the deadline date of when the auction comes to a close and the winner is decided?

By: Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:13:44 +0000

PHEW…

So glad you gave that guy credit for that Flickr photo. Just don’t want to take any chances nowadays

By: rons dixon

rons dixon — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:10:55 +0000

I thought google applied, was their application denied? Erick any news on google’s role here?

Thanks.