Airwaves auction deadline
p2pnet news | WiFi:- January 28, 2008, is the deadline set for the controversial airwaves auction that’s expected to pull in $10 billion, and possibly more.
Among those with a serious interest is ex-FBI boss Louis Freeh who’s backing the company which says it wants to build a national network shared with “commercial and public safety users”.
Google, too, is watching events closely, saying it’s ready to spend up to $4.6 billion.
Now the FCC (Federal Communications Commission ) has approved rules, “intended to give people greater choice when it comes to their cellphones and wireless devices,” says Associated Press.
“The access requirement would apply to 22 megahertz of the 62 MHz of spectrum to be sold,” says Reuters. “Two Republican FCC commissioners, who expressed reservations about the idea, stressed it would not apply to existing airwaves held by carriers like AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.
But, “The agency stopped short of a broader requirement sought by potential bidder Google Inc. that would force the winner to resell access to its network on a wholesale basis.”
TV broadcasters will occupy the spectrum until February 2009, but after that, the winning bidder or bidders, “will have to ‘build out’ the network,” says AP, and, “That could take several years and billions of dollars.”
Click on the microphone on the right to hear this story. If you’d like to do a p2pnetcast, just pick a post that hasn’t been done and send the results to p2pnet @ shaw dot ca. You have an accent? No problem 
(This p2pnetcast is from David Bannister.)
Also See:
serious interest – Ex-FBI boss backs wireless company, July 14, 2007
$4.6 billion – Google’s $4.6 billion FCC ultimatum, July 21, 2007
Associated Press – Rules aim at giving choice to cell users, August 1, 2007
Reuters – FCC sets airwaves sale rule, July 31, 2007
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