... instead of the one from two days ago?
http://www.rcrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/FREE/997329880/1005/rss01

Block C has passed $4.6b

Back in the days when the only way to distinguish one data stream from another was by frequency -- "tuning the radio" -- owning spectrum made sense, and the more you owned the better. We just don't do it like that any more -- for an example, just look at how much crap is packed into the tiny sliver of spectrum at 2.4GHz, for example (spectrum that was only open in the first place because it was thought to be useless).

I'm fundamentally opposed to the idea of a public resource being auctioned off like this anyway. The government is supposed to be the custodian of our resources, sharing it out equitably between users, but instead it acts like its just surplus property to be sold off for a bit of spare change.

The auction is going on four rounds per day, so the NYTimes article you quoted was out of date. The C-block reserve has been met, as have many A, B and E block (smaller geographic area) license reserves.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080131-open-access-for-all-prime-700mhz-block-c-hits-reserve-price.html
ArsTechnica is reporting the C block hit the reserve price already.

Even if you go directly to FCC's website:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_summary&id=73

you can view the auction results straight from the horses mouth and the latest bid is $4,713,823,000