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On Mar. 20, 2008 the Federal Communications Commission revealed the top bidders
in an auction of the nation's most desirable remaining airwaves.

"Having received bids totaling $19.5 billion ...

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin called the outcome a success

His statement notes that the auction has
"raised more money than any [FCC] auction has ever raised"

The wireless spectrum auction fails to pave the way for new competitors;
instead, AT&T and Verizon Wireless solidify their positions

So much for creating a new national competitor in the U.S. wireless business.

The total cost to the American people is unbelievable.

High power broadcast TV stations were required to move to the UHF spectrum.

How much does it cost to set up a completely new system?

All consumers receiving a broadcast signal

must either buy a new TV set

or purchase a converter box.

It is harder to build a good TV set

that will receive the "digital" signal,

so the quality of all "new" sets

will leave the consumer disappointed.

The TV repair center will probably become

a thing of the past.

Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile,
the nation's third- and fourth-largest wireless operators, respectively,
did not even participate in the auction.

T-Mobile had been the high bidder in the FCC's last auction,
spending $4.2 billion.

Alltel, the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier,
came away with nothing, as did Leap Wireless (LEAP).