said by Matt 
:said by axus :I can't see how you can call an auction rigged, unless you weren't allowed to bid at all. Whoever is willing to pay the most money wins, I don't think it can be more fair than that. Taxpayers get the money, and the people who paid for the license will build something there.
Google didn't have enough money to pull this off, that's too bad. I think they could have grown the market more than Verizon will, but it's up to their shareholders and board to decide that.
Whomever has the most money wins is not fair. By the rules of this auction it is, but in the case of the public spectrum, this was a most decidedly unfair auction and will not result in any new or innovative technology for the public as a whole.
We will get a new technology in 10 years time from Verizon and AT&T, which will have usage caps, be locked to the original provider, have draconian contracts with ridiculous early termination fees, and be prohibitively expensive. In other words, nothing will change.
I think "most money wins" is more fair than subjective feelings about how "good" or "bad" a company is. If you have subjective measurements like that, the potential for corruption goes up. You do know that Martin has a soft spot for telcos, right?
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