Airwaves Auction Approved by the FCC

Here's some good news for cell phone and wireless device users: the FCC approved rules intended to give people a greater choice, thanks to the completion of an airwaves auction next year. The auction will have to take place within January 28, 2008. The so-called open access provision allows for customers to use whatever phone and software they want on as much as one-third of the spectrum to be auctioned.

Another provision that mandated a licensee to sell access to its network on a wholesale basis did not make it, pushing Google out of the bidding (not that the company has ruled it out completely, of course). The bidding proceeds will be in the range of US $10-15 billion, with a total of 62 MHz being auctioned off. 22 MHz will be open access.

Television broadcasters will occupy the spectrum until Feb 2009.