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Alex
Site Admin
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Posts: 2304
Location: Dallas, TX
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 Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject: Verizon Wireless wins C block in 700Mhz airwave auction |
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What could this mean for future? Time will tell.
| Quote: | WASHINGTON - Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc, won a nationwide wireless license known as the "C" block in a government auction, the U.S. Federal Communications Communication said on Thursday.
Verizon Wireless made a top offer of $4.74 billion for the C block spectrum, giving it control of a major piece of the airwaves being vacated by television broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early 2009.
The FCC also said that AT&T had won 227 licenses from among the "B" block of regional licenses. |
and another report:
| Quote: | Big Winners in Airwaves Action Include Wireless Incumbents
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's cell phone companies won big in a record-setting government airways auction, the Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday.
AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, the nation's two biggest cell phone carriers, bid a combined $16 billion of the record $19.6 billion pledged in the auction, according to an AP analysis of the results. Verizon Wireless bid $9.4 billion while AT&T Inc. bid $6.6 billion.
The results raised concern that the auction had failed to attract any new competitors to the cellular telephone market to challenge the dominant carriers.
Google Inc. was not among the winners, meaning the search engine giant will not be entering the wireless business.
One new entrant, however, Frontier Wireless LLC, which is owned by EchoStar Communications Inc., won nearly enough licenses to create a nationwide footprint.
The auction, overseen by the FCC, attracted a record $19.6 billion in bids. Bidders were anonymous, but the agency released the names Thursday.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. and British telecom giant Vodaphone Group, won nearly every license in the consumer-friendly "C block."
The spectrum, which encompasses about a third of the spectrum at auction, is subject to "open access" provisions pushed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, meaning users of the network will be able to use whatever phones or software they wish.
Verizon won the regional licenses in the block cover every state with the exception of Alaska.
Google posted a package bid for the C block licenses early in the auction, assuring that the open-access provision would be put in place, but it was not enough to win.
Also Thursday, Martin said he had ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the failure of a block of airwaves to be used for a nationwide emergency communications network to attract a winning bidder. |
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Michael
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 5132
Location: Cary, IL
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xchpstang
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 221
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Michael wrote: | | I am guessing it is for LTE to be available in 2010/2011 time frame? |
That would be my guess too. |
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evdoman
EVDO User
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 68
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| If they get LTE rolling by 2010-2011, that would be great, but I'm hoping they move to EvDO Rev B well before then. LTE speeds would kick butt, but Rev B speeds would be like winning the lotto too. They'd need to improve backhauling for either, so why not just flip on Rev B wherever the backhaul is sufficient to support it? |
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fletchdawgg
EVDO Newbie
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
Location: Live Oak, FL
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Can you guys explain what this means for the newbie? |
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JGriggs
EVDO User
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 62
Location: North Central Indiana
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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| fletchdawgg wrote: | | Can you guys explain what this means for the newbie? |
Nothing much for a few years.
They can't even attempt to use this until tv moves to digital in early 2009. |
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dima
EVDO User
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 98
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't seen any indication on Verizon's part that they are planning to support EVDO Rev B or C (UMB) because Vodaphone's been pushing VZW to adopt GSM for years. And now they've got them pretty much over a barrel for going LTE for their 4G network. Which is a better route to follow in my opinion since a single global standard wil cut redundant development costs for incompatible technologies.
Now all intel needs to do is incorporate WiMax into the LTE standard since both use OFDM and the world would be all set. At least for the next 5 years anyway. |
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