FCC raises $19 billion in spectrum auction

THE US government said it raised 19.6 billion dollars auctioning off a slice of the wireless spectrum.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin Martin said the auction for 1,099 frequencies in the 700MHz spectrum had closed but did not identify the winners and losers.

The spectrum was freed up by the centrally mandated shift to digital TV broadcasting.

More than 200 companies had a bid, including the likes of Google, AT&T and Verizon.

Sought after were the Upper-C block frequencies which the FCC requires the operator to run as an open network.

Proceeds from the auction will be spent public safety and digital television transition initiatives, Martin said.

The auction winners will be announced in due course. µ