The citizens broadband radio service auction will likely close at between the $2 billion raised in the 24 GHz auction and the $4.5 billion from the 37, 39 and 47 GHz band sale, New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told investors. Wednesday's prices indicate an average of 4 cents MHz/POP, Chaplin said. “There is still lots of excess demand, suggesting that prices have a ways to run before we have a clear sense of where they will land.” The two previous auctions “saw prices start to stabilize around the 20th round,” he said: “We would expect the same here.” The FCC is now running three rounds a day and round 20 will come Tuesday, he noted. The auction hit $831.8 million Thursday after 13 rounds as bidding heated up. That's a jump from $775.2 million in the previous round.
The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee unanimously OK'd Thursday a report by the Spectrum Strategy Governance Subcommittee on potential changes to federal oversight of spectrum (see 2004220059). They didn’t reach conclusions (see 2007280047).
The citizens broadband radio service hit $486.5 million after five rounds Monday. Bids were at $357 million at the end of the first day Thursday (see [2007230074). New Street’s Blair Levin cautioned against judging based on how much money it brings in, the usual auction measure. “The CBRS auction is not about how much the spectrum is worth,” Levin told investors: “The importance here will be determined by other, more subtle metrics. Such metrics would include the extent to which incumbents can use shared spectrum to reduce their cost structure, cable can use CBRS to provide their own wireless services, and new providers who control specific areas, such as universities and office park owners, can use the spectrum to offer niche services.”
MEI Telecom and Avangrid Networks payments to participate in the auction of priority access licenses in the citizens broadband radio service, late, respectively, by one business day and two business days, won't be treated as on time, the FCC Office of Economics and Analytics said. The orders (see here and here) in Friday's Daily Digest denied the companies' requests for waiver of the upfront payment deadline. Waving the deadline for MEI raises fairness questions for others that met the deadline, staff said. Timely submission of an upfront payment helps establish that an applicant is financially qualified to take part in an auction, said the Avangrid order.
Bids stood at $357 million after the first, six-hour round of the citizens broadband radio service priority access license auction Thursday. The FCC has two bidding rounds scheduled for Friday. Industry officials are watching the auction closely as an expression of interest in the 3.5 GHz shared band.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and other lawmakers expressed interest Thursday in pursuing legislation and other solutions to address what they see as a dysfunctional relationship between the FCC and other federal agencies on spectrum management. Thune later told us Capitol Hill is unlikely to address the issue this Congress given the dwindling legislative calendar. FCC approval of Ligado’s L-band plan wasn’t directly mentioned despite earlier expectations (see 2007220066).
Speakers offered a very different view of the citizens broadband radio service during a Connected Real Estate virtual conference Wednesday. With the CBRS auction to start Thursday (see 2007200049), there was both optimism and continuing skepticism (see 2007210052) about how much interest the band will get.
Private LTE and the citizens broadband radio service won’t be a major factor for in-building connectivity for years to come, speakers warned during the third installment Tuesday of Connect (X), the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s virtual trade show. The FCC is to start an auction Thursday of priority access licenses (see 2007200049).
The FCC will start the priority access license (PAL) auction Thursday. Among the 271 qualified bidders are AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile; and the biggest MVPDs including Comcast, Charter and Cox, Dish Network. Also qualified are electric utilities, wireless ISPs and enterprise customers including various universities and John Deere.
Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday the FCC will stick with Dec. 8 for starting the auction of C-band spectrum for 5G, circulating draft final auction procedures (see 2007150047). Commissioners approved the auction 3-2 in February, including a procedures NPRM (see 2002280044). The FCC will also consider inmate calling services rates and media modernization among other items at the Aug. 6 commissioners’ meeting.