FCC Puts 4.6 Billion Minimum Bid on Spectrum Auction

ChainedFei writes "Wired News notes that the Spectrum auction is moving forward, with the FCC placing a minimum bid for the C-block spectrum being offered at $4.6 billion. That, coincidentally, was the amount that Google fronted as a minimum bid to endorse certain open standards for the spectrum being sold. This is essentially a move to shut out smaller possible competitors while also maximizing the money the auction will generate for the grade-A areas of the spectrum. In addition, any single bidder wishing to purchase the entirety of the spectrum must front a minimum of $10 billion. 'According to the FCC, nearly all of that C block aggregate reserve price will go toward a package of U.S. national licenses. This portion of the spectrum also happens to be the one with two open access conditions attached to its sale mandating that all devices be allowed to access the band and that all applications can be able to run across the network. If the reserve price isn't met, the auction will be rerun without these two conditions in place, according to the FCC.'"

Porn industry

[Anonymous Coward]

The porn industry should totally buy that spectrum, and have on-demand porn serving. You know you want it.

n00bs

[Experiment 626]

Why are they setting a minimum bid? They should just start it at $0.01 and keep saying "reserve not met" until it passes the $4,600,000,000.00 point.

Minimum of $10 billion is not totally accurate

[Anonymous Coward]

4.6 billion is the bid with the remainder going towards a security deposit, so the public can expect to get its spectrum back in top condition.

Re:Not really shutting out smaller competitors

[niceone]

does fccBay operate under significantly different rules from eBay?

Some things are a bit different. Like they don't display the % of positive/negative feedback, or they'd never manage to sell anything :)

Re:Use of this frequency

[Anonymous Coward]

Google plans to implant one or more neural chips into the head of everyone.
They will communicate with one another at this frequency creating Web 3.0 as a giant neural search repository stored in people's brains.

Re:Listing Fees

[LunaticTippy]

eBay isn't going to make jack.

Purchase price: $0.01
Shipping: $4,899,999,999.99

Re:citizen's should bid

[WebHostingGuy]

Sound great. Why don't you paypal me the money and I will hold on to it until the auction?

Re:Not really shutting out smaller competitors

[MightyMartian]

I think we should alter government bidding to blood sports. Choose your weapon, and the last man standing wins the bid. Wouldn't it be great to have Larry Page skewered by a pike, with Randal Stephenson standing there, bloodied, ear missing, eye gouged and knee torn to shreds, but victorious.

Jeez

[jhines]

And all I wanted was a Hz or two. Dang it all.

Re:Listing Fees

[Anonymous Coward]

Excellent joke!! Would look for more!!! A++++