700MHz spectrum filing deadline: What's next?

700MHZ SPECTRUM FILING DEADLINE: WHAT'S NEXT?
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
Companies wishing to bid in the upcoming 700MHz auctions at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission were largely silent about their plans Monday, the deadline for submitting bid applications. AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Google are in. Comcast and Sprint Nextel will not bid on what is often called "beach front" property because it can carry wireless broadband signals three to four times farther than some other spectrum bands. The FCC plans to make the names of the auction applicants public by Dec. 28. For one of the first times, the FCC is conducting an anonymous bidding process, so it will not disclose what sections of spectrum applicants intend to bid on. The auctions begin on Jan. 24, but they could last several weeks. Auctions go on as long as bidders keep bidding; the FCC's last major auctions, its advanced wireless services auctions in 2006, lasted about five weeks. If reserve prices aren't met on parts of spectrum, the FCC will re-auction those bands. 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 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.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/03/700MHz-auction-filing-deadline...

COMCAST WILL NOT BID ON WIRELESS SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Jon Hemingway]
Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, said it will not be a bidder in the upcoming 700-megahertz wireless-spectrum auction. The 700-MHz spectrum is being made available as a result of the government-mandated switchover for local TV stations to discontinue analog broadcasts by Feb. 17, 2009. The FCC is auctioning off 62 MHz of spectrum in the band, which is considered a valuable piece of wireless real estate with long-range and can be used for voice, video and data.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6509047.html?rssid=193
* Comcast Won't Bid on 700-MHz Spectrum
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6509033.html?rssid=196

TIME WARNER CABLE HOLDS OFF ON SPECTRUM, STAKE IN SUBSIDIARY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Jon Hemingway]
Time Warner Cable Chairman and CEO Glenn Britt said Monday morning that the company will not buy out parent Time Warner’s stake in subsidiary TW NY Holding or participate in the upcoming auction of wireless spectrum. Time Warner Cable -- which earlier this year made a bid for cable operator Insight Communications -- will continue to consider acquisitions. “The question has been do consumers, will consumers want to buy cell-phone service from the people they buy the triple-play from?” Britt said, noting the cable operator’s market testing with Sprint Nextel. “So far, we have not seen great demand for that.”
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6509043.html?rssid=193