So as strongly implied as of yesterday, it looks like channels 38-51 go to the
cellcos (and 14 MHz to experimenters). Ch 37 has always been off limits, so now
OTA TV will be confined to Ch 2-36.
Bert
------------------------------
http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/auction-closes-at-xxx-billion/280166
Final Stage Auction Rule Met at $18.2 Billion
Assignment phase to follow
January 18, 2017
By Deborah D. McAdams
WASHINGTON-The closing criteria of the television spectrum incentive auction
have been met at $18.2 billion in bids for 70 MHz of public airwaves. The
closing criteria-i.e., clearing costs plus expenses and a benchmark bid price-
were finally met after 43 weeks and four separate stages targeting
progressively less spectrum.
Stage 4 targeted 84 MHz, which participating broadcasters agreed to vacate for
$10 billion in the fourth-stage reverse auction that ended Friday, Jan. 13. The
clearing cost criteria comprised this $10 billion ask, plus the $1.75 billion
Congress allocated to move broadcasters as well as the administrative costs of
holding the auction, for a total of just over $12 billion.
Bidding in the fourth-stage forward auction commenced at 10 a.m. Wednesday,
Jan. 18. By noon, the clearing cost criteria was met with bids totaling more
than $17.7 billion from participating wireless providers, or $17.2 billion
after discounts for rural and smaller entities, but still enough to cover the
$12 billion. However, bids fell less than three cents short of the benchmark
bid price of $1.25 per MHz/Pop (one megahertz of spectrum passing by one person
in a given market area), triggering a second round of bidding.
Second-round bids totaled $18.2 billion, or $17.7 billion after discounts, and
slightly surpassed the $1.25 MHz/Pop benchmark at $1.2570, for the 70 MHz
available out of the 84 MHz clearing target after consideration for guard bands.
The next step involves implementation of the spectrum reserve rule in which
"each Category 1 product for which at least one reserve-eligible bidder has
processed demand at the time is split into two products: reserved and
unreserved," according to the Federal Communication Commission's auction
dashboard. "Reserve" refers to 30 MHz of spectrum set aside in each wireless
geographic area for wireless providers who hold less than one-third of
available low-band spectrum in a license area.
"In order to provide bidders with additional time to bid in the first round
after the spectrum reserve has been implemented, round 3 will be extended to
six hours. It will be held tomorrow, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Eastern."
There will be no bidding on Friday, Jan. 20, due to the inauguration. Bidding
will resume in two-hour increments on Monday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m and 2 p.m.
The auction will close when demand no longer exceeds supply, as it now does in
several wireless geographic units. Once the auction closes, an assignment phase
where winning bidders of generic frequency blocks will be able to bid on
specific frequencies, will begin.
Addendum: Outgoing FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler issued the following statement
after the final stage rule was met:
"The world's first spectrum incentive auction has delivered on its ambitious
promise. Reaching the Final Stage Rule means the benefits of the auction are
indisputable. We will repurpose 70 MHz of high-value, completely clear low-band
spectrum for mobile broadband on a nationwide basis. On top of that, 14 MHz of
new unlicensed spectrum-the test bed for wireless innovation-will be available
for consumer devices and new services. The auction will provide $10.05 billion
to broadcast television licensees who participated and billions towards deficit
reduction.
"There is still a long road ahead to successfully implement the post-auction
transition of broadcast stations to their new channels and bring the new
wireless and unlicensed spectrum to market. This will be an extremely important
task for my successor and the new commission; I wish them well.
"Now that we are assured of a successful auction, however, it is appropriate to
acknowledge and thank some of those who helped us get here; a list that begins
with our staff. For more than four years, Gary Epstein, chair of the Incentive
Auction Task Force, has led a team of professionals more than 100 strong to
assure that our actions were carefully coordinated and considered the public
and stakeholder interests from all angles. The Task Force has worked tirelessly
on this auction since 2012 and they have my deepest thanks.
"Congress made the incentive auction possible - both by passing the Spectrum
Act in 2012 and through its continued guidance and oversight - thanks to the
leadership of Reps. Upton, Waxman, Walden, Eshoo, and Pallone, and Senators
Rockefeller, Thune, and Nelson. Committee staff, together with the staff of our
federal agency partners, including NTIA and OMB, collaborated to draft a
momentous piece of legislation designed to advance the goals of making more
spectrum available for licensed and unlicensed use, funding an interoperable
public safety network, and reducing the federal deficit.
"My predecessors as chair, Julius Genachowski and Mignon Clyburn, set the
process in motion for this auction as well as for the 2014 AWS-3 auction,
together with fellow Commissioners Robert McDowell, Jessica Rosenworcel, Ajit
Pai and Mike O'Rielly. Congratulations to all on a job well done."
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