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> The prices paid at the last FCC frequency auction are a tiny fraction of the revenue those frequency bands will earn over the next decades. The licenses that

by est31 7y ago

> The prices paid at the last FCC frequency auction are a tiny fraction of the revenue those frequency bands will earn over the next decades. The licenses that the FCC auctions off have a finite term. E.g. this [1] license is owned by AT&T and expires in 2021. [1]: http://reboot.fcc.gov/spectrumdashboard/detailLicense.seam?conversationId=11936 http://reboot.fcc.gov/spectrumdashboard/detailLicense.seam?c... So over the next decades those carriers have to purchase it from the FCC again and again and again.

swiley 7y ago
This is actually news to me and I’m pretty glad to hear it. I always assumed these companies could just sit on the frequencies after they bought them. I was always pretty upset about the low unlicensed power levels living out in the country side as a kid. The cell companies weren’t using the frequencies out there so why couldn’t we? I’ve heard tv white space actually works that way although some telcos “cheat” by reporting that they cover way more area than they do. I’m so glad to have moved far enough into the city that I no longer care.