After a two-year of long proceedings, Federal Communications Commission incentive auction for 600 MHz finally come to an end this Wednesday. The spectrum is now available for wireless technology to use.
The long proceeding of 600 MHz low-band wireless spectrum auction conducted by FCC finally ended in the four stage bidding, SVG News reported. TV broadcasters finally approved to free the 84 MHz spectrum at the price of $17.7 billion, higher than their $10 billion asking price.
Stage four of the FCC auction was also conducted in forward bidding, RCR Wireless News reported. The forward bidding was expected to end the bidding process as it happened in the previous stages.
Following the end of the proceeding, vice president of corporate and government relations of Shure, Mark Brunner, said that his company had already taken necessary steps to anticipate the end of the auction, which included reconfiguration of RF landscape, discontinuing several wireless product and improving spectral efficiency of the company’s existing products. He was relieved to see the auction has come to an end.
“We’re relieved that the process has finished. Now we know what spectrum is off the table,” Brunner said.
Federal Communications Commission initiated the auction to clear the 600 MHz low-band wireless spectrum since March 2016. The first stage of reverse auction ended in July 2016 after TV broadcasters agreed to free the 126 MHz spectrum which they no longer use for $86.4 billion. The second stage cleared the 144 MHz spectrum at the $21.5 billion, much lower than the FCC expected clearing price of $54.6 billion.
The third stage cleared 80 MHz spectrung at the price of $19.7 billion, far below the FCC target price of $40.3 billion. Afterward, fourth stage which ended this week at $17.7 billion was another anticlimax for FCC. The stage four ended with much lower price than the $40.3 billion target price.
Watch report from RCR Wireless News regarding FCC incentive auction on 600 MHz below: