The 700 MHz Auction

With an increased focus on national security and public safety communications, the US Congress revisited its plan to reclaim television broadcaster frequencies to be reallocated and auctioned by the FCC and it specifically allocated a portion of that spectrum for use by public safety. The FCC was charged with the duty of auctioning this spectrum and licensing it to create a public safety network. The recent FCC Auction 73 was a success in auctioning all spectrum to be returned, save for the D Block that had been allocated for a dual commercial-public safety network by the FCC, for which the sole bid did not even approach the reserve, much less exceed the reserve as did all other auction bids. In this paper, we briefly review spectrum history and 700 MHz history in particular, cover the intent and the outcome of the auction, and then examine numerous obstacles to the successful auctioning of this spectrum.