The Federal Communications Commission’s 2.5 GHz auction has rounded up just $143 million in gross bids after nine rounds.
The auction raised about $103 million in its first day, with six hours of bidding. IT has only brought that total up by about $40 million since. Two more rounds are scheduled today.
There are likely a few reasons for this auction’s slow pace and low total: These are overlay licenses that are encumbered in metro areas, so the actual spectrum availability is primarily in rural locations; and because T-Mobile US has amassed significant holdings and/or access arrangements to 2.5 GHz, it is seen as the national carrier with the most interest in the band, while Verizon and AT&T concentrated most of their midband efforts (and money) on last year’s record-breaking $81 billion C-Band auction.
