US spectrum auction list finalised by FCC with 214 potential bidders

The Federal Communications Commission has finalised the bidder list, and the participant rules, for the forthcoming 700MHz wireless auction. The Federal Communications Commission has released bidding rules (pdf) for the January 24 700 MHz auction. FCC also reported that more than 50 prospective early applicants have dropped out, while 214 bidders have been qualified for the auction. The major qualified bidders (pdf) include familiar American business names like Google under the name “Google Airwaves” as are bids from several established wireless carriers in the States including Alltel, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless under the CellCo Partnership. Chip maker Qualcomm and oil company Chevron are surprise entries in the race for the chunk of bandwidth, freed up by the switch from analogue to digital television.The auction is due to take place on 24 January, and the FCC has stated they will run a “mock auction” on January 22 where participants can practice bidding via phone or online.More