Friday, March 21, 2008

Verizon, AT&T Win 700 mhz

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http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/03/20/verizon-att-big-winners-in-700-mhz-auction-verizon-wins-much-discussed-c-block-no-spectrum-for-google/
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===================================================================================== March 20, 2008, 3:33 pm
Verizon, AT&T Big Winners In 700 MHz Auction; Verizon Wins Much-Discussed C Block; No Spectrum For Google
Posted by Eric Savitz


Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) are the big winners in the FCC’s 700 MHz spectrum auction, the commission disclosed today.

Verizon, as many had expected, was the biggest spender. The company won the rights to the much-discussed C block, which could be used to create a nationwide broadband network. A quick analysis of the bidding by Tech Trader Daily of the 1091 blocks that were auctioned off finds Verizon spent a total of $9.4 billion in the auction, buying parts of the A and B spectrum blocks as well as the C block.

AT&T spent $6.6 billion in the auction, all of it in the B spectrum block.

Other big spenders:

* CentruyTel (CTL): $149 million
* Cox: $304.6 million
* Frontier Wireless, which is related to EchoStar (DISH): $711.8 million. Frontier spent all of its cash on the E block, which was expected to be used for a mobile television service.
* King Street Wireless, an affiliate of U.S. Cellular (USM): $300.5 million
* Qualcomm (QCOM): $558.1 million. (The company also had the high bid on the D block at $472 million; but that failed to meet the reserve price, and that block will be re-bid.)
* Vulcan Spectrum (owned by Paul Allen): $112.8 million.

Google (GOOG) did not win any of the auctions.

All winning bids combined totaled $19.12 billion; the FCC says net dollars raised in the auction after some credits is $18.96 billion.


Update: Here are some additional companies that were substantial players in the auction:

* Cavalier Wireless: $46.4 million
* Cellular South Licenses: $191.5 million
* Continuum 700: $66.1 million
* Puerto Rico Telephone: $31.4 million
* Triad 700: $17 million
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