jay_rm
join:2002-04-12
Netville
 ·Fox Valley Internet
 ·ViaTalk
| There WAS a guy all lined up and waiting - Frontline.
EVERYBODY figured they would be the one that would bid, win and team up to build out the network. NOBODY else was willing to bid as the industry figured it was a setup, with Frontline sure to win (all though, they'd still need to meet the minimum bid). Frontine was all ready working behind the scenes with the PSST (Public Safety Spectrum Trust - the 'overseers' of the D block).
Uh-Oh - right before the auction was to start, Frontline closed the doors and went out of business because they couldn't raise the cash to bid (probably couldn't raise the FCC deposit money). That caught EVERYONE off guard - industry, the FCC, everybody. Since there was nobody READY to bid on D-block, the spectrum got one feeble bid in the opening rounds (30% of minimum) and nothing else.
The FCC knew it was screwed the second Frontline folded but it was too late to do anything about it. After the auction is over, the rules will be tweaked, new cages will be rattled, more back room deals will close and there will be a NEW AUCTION, with the same basic commercial+public safety sharing agreement that WILL be successful and D-band will slowly be built into "some sort" of PS-friendly sharing network covering 90%+ of the US population.
My long term guess is that PUBLIC SAFETY themselves will baulk at using it...
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