United States 2008 wireless spectrum auction

The United States 700 MHz FCC wireless spectrum auction, officially known as Auction 73, was started by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on January 24, 2008 for the rights to operate the 700 MHz radio frequency band in the United States. The details of process were the subject of debate among several telecommunications companies, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, as well as the Internet company Google. Much of the debate swirled around the "open access" requirements set down by the Second Report and Order released by the FCC determining the process and rules for the auction. All bidding was required by law to commence by January 28.

Full-power TV stations were forced into an uncompensated DTV transition in the United States, in order to free 108 MHz of radio spectrum for newer wireless services. The last transmissions by the incumbent full-power television broadcasters using this spectrum ceased on June 12, 2009. LPTV (low-power television) stations, were allowed to stay on the air with an analog TV signal until the winning bidders start operations on their frequencies.

The 700 MHz spectrum was previously used for analog television broadcasting, specifically UHF channels 52 through 69. The FCC ruled that the digital television transition would make these frequencies no longer necessary for broadcasters, because of the improved spectral efficiency of digital broadcasts, allowing for broadcasts on first-adjacent channels instead of having to leave empty TV channels as guard bands between analog stations. Thus, all broadcasters were required to move to channels 2 through 51 as part of the digital TV transition. This reallocation was an ongoing effort, since the lower channels 52 through 59 (698-746 MHz), had been used considerably more for analog and digital broadcasts than the upper channels 60 through 69, which have been largely unused because of their less-desirable radio propagation characteristics.

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