US communications regulator the FCC closed the country’s Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS) auction Monday afternoon, reaping almost $14bn (£7.4bn) in bids.
As expected, T-Mobile USA was the biggest spender, splashing out over $4bn on licenses. Although T-Mobile made no comment on its plans, the operator is widely expected to use the licences to launch 3G services later this year.
Meanwhile, wireless broadband player NextWave scored the largest number of licenses at 154, but only spent $115.5m. The SpectrumCo consortium, headed up by Sprint Nextel and a handful of cable operators, bagged the second largest number of licenses, picking up 137 licenses for $2.4bn.
Verizon Wireless was another big spender, with $2.8bn in bids, as was regional player MetroPCS and Cingular Wireless.
US DoJ calls on FCC to limit spectrum to big players
The US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) Antitrust Division has called on telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to more aggressively regulate the amount of spectrum that the country’s larger operators are able to own.
Deutsche Telekom submits final offer for MetroPCS
German operator group Deutsche Telekom has submitted what it says is a final offer for US operator MetroPCS. The firm hopes to persuade a number of MetroPCS’s shareholders that voiced objections to the terms of the initial bid.
T-Mobile US bins device subsidies and annual contracts
US operator T-Mobile has revamped its retail offering, abolishing handset subsidies for premium devices in favour of an interest-free scheme that separates the cost of the device from the cost of network service. Annual service contracts have also been withdrawn. The pricing overhaul is expected to be one of a number of announcements made by T-Mobile at a press event later on Tuesday, although the changes have already been made on the operator’s online retail portal.
FCC approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the potential merger between operators T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS.
Loading ...
Calls for consolidation in the European mobile market grow louder by the week and four-operator markets look increasingly challenged. Now, those mobile operators that have already built scale seem to be suggesting that there is no option but to expand yet further through diversification.