Verizon wins 700 MHz auction

The Standard — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:57:21 -0400

BULLETIN - Verizon Wireless wins huge block of 700MHz spectrum. The community was correct. -- The Industry Standard

Bidding just closed after 261 (!!) rounds. What we do know? Verizon (VZ), Google (GOOG), AT&T (T) and Qualcomm (QCOM) all participated. The last bid came in late Tuesday and the total reached $19.6 billion.

This is a prediction that Verizon will be announced as the winner of the coveted C block of spectrum, which is the most valuable and was the subject of the widely reported pre-auction open-access negotiations by Google and others.

The commerical-public D block did not meet the neccessary reserve, which according to auction rules would prevent the FCC from announcing the winners of any block until the D block had also sold, which by most measures won't be for some time. However according to RCR Wireless News, we may have our winner much sooner:

"FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said, in a conference call immediately after the close of the auction, that he sent an order to the other FCC commissioners to 'delink' the failed D Block from the 700 MHz auction so the auction can be officially closed.

Once the commission approves the move, the names of the 700 MHz winners can be released 'almost immediately.'"

This is a prediction that Verizon will be announced as the winner of the C block of 700 MHz spectrum. We have set an expiry date of 12.31.08 in order to be safe, but we fully expect an announcement to come much sooner, in which case this prediction will be judged immediately.