Comments on: Billionaires Can’t Keep Frontline Wireless From The Deadpool

By: January 10, 2008 | TechTV Update

January 10, 2008 | TechTV Update — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:52:50 +0000

[...] dollar deposit. Apparently this is a lot of money even for billionaires like backer John Doerr, as TechCrunch notes in its epitaph on the company. Comcast annouced plans bring 100 megabit speeds to certain [...]

By: Billionaires Can’t Keep Frontline Wireless From the Deadpool | Erick Schonfeld | Voices | AllThingsD

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:26:40 +0000

[...] Read the rest of this post Print Sphere Comment Tagged: Frontline Wireless, GoogleRam Shriram, Reed Hundt, Jim Barksdale, Erick Schonfeld, John Doerr | permalink [...]

By: Brett Tarnutzer

Brett Tarnutzer — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:12:20 +0000

The upfront payments serve an important function in the auction process – to help ensure some level of financial viability and sincere bidding. As for whether to auction at all, one need only look at the cellular lottery situation to see that instead of auction funds being deposited in the US Treasury you had people getting licenses for free (remember, the spectrum is a public right) and later selling them and pocketing the profits. Telecom is a business, and one that, for better or worse, the FCC manages on behalf of the public and in the public interest.

As for making the auction process easier for and more accessible to startups, I’m all for that. Currently the FCC does offer “bidding credits” giving companies with small revenues a chance to get up to 25% off of the price of their bids. This is meant to level the playing field, allowing startups and small companies to play in the same game as larger players.

By: Daniel Gibbons

Daniel Gibbons — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:00:35 +0000

It’s a bit misleading to suggest that the billionaire backers can’t save this company. They probably could if they wanted to, but they didn’t get to be billionaires by funneling their own money into opportunities that they can’t sell to other investors.

By: Solnyshok

Solnyshok — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:25:14 +0000

I have a dream.
I believe.
That one day Wimax based P2P mesh networks will do onto FCCs of this world, what Napster and Bittorrent did onto RIAA and DRM.

By: Clyde Smith

Clyde Smith — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:04:57 +0000

I haven’t been following the auction details but you raise some important points related to democracy.

What struck me though is the idea of basing a business plan on possible government action. Unless the fix is in or you’re an incumbent with serious connections, you’ve got be a bit high to make such a move.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:04:23 +0000

It makes sense to sell the licenses to companies that have the money to build a network. A business model alone isn’t enough.

But why auctioning this stuff at all? Does it help to have just a few licenses, rather than allowing everybody who wants to build whatever they want and then paying a cut of the revenues made with the technology?

Allowing everybody to do whatever they want is of course too much, but how about not limiting the licenses, but giving one to everybody who sends in a business model. If there are 20 companies willing to work on a given technology, why not give each of these 20 companies a chance to prove what they say?
If they make revenues, the FCC gets its share. If not, they go bankrupt, like in every other business.

By: Omnidrive User

Omnidrive User — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:26:13 +0000

Btw what’s happening to Omnidrive?
Completely down since yesterday, plus this:
http://www.webw...-9846292-2.html

By: Rajeev

Rajeev — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:45:05 +0000

Not clinging or getting emotional for unprofitable business makes sound business sense.

http://tekno-wo...ld.blogspot.com

By: rose

rose — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:41:51 +0000

Jim is a good guy! He always does a good job!

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