The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has just published the rules it will apply to a spectrum auction for the AWS-H Block. We saw last week that the FCC finally approved Dish's proposal to use its spectrum holdings for a terrestrial cellular network, and this auction was part of the deal. The auction will have 10MHz of spectrum up for grabs, in the 1915-1920MHz (uplink) and 1995-2000MHz (downlink) bands. This is directly adjacent to PCS G spectrum that Sprint currently owns, and therefore the carrier will be a likely participant in the auction.
Part of the rules to the auction are that the winner must build out its network to 40-percent of the coverage area within 4 years, and 70-percent within 10 years. Also, if a company other than Sprint were to win the auction, they will be required to work closely with Sprint to make sure that its usage does not interfere with Sprint's neighboring spectrum.
It will be interesting to see how the discussions surrounding this auction go, especially considering Sprint's intimate involvement in the process from the beginning.
Source: FCC; PhoneScoop
