T-Mobile just spent a massive $8 billion as part of the FCC’s latest auction

By Christian de Looper April 13, 2017

t mobile revvl news

The Federal Communications Commission’s Broadcast Incentive Auction has come to a close, with a hefty 175 TV stations getting payouts for giving up spectrum — spectrum that was in turn sold to the likes of T-Mobile, Comcast, NBCU, and Dish. The result? One of the highest grossing auctions ever conducted by the FCC, with a total gross revenue coming in at a whopping $19.8 billion.

Following the auction, there will be some big changes to many TV stations. The FCC will now enter into a 39-month transition period in moving broadcast stations to newly assigned channels. A total of 957 stations will now change channels during the period, with the first group scheduled to move starting on November 30, 2018.

“The conclusion of the world’s first incentive auction is a major milestone in the FCC’s long history as steward of the nation’s airwaves,” said FCC chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. “Consumers are the real beneficiaries, as broadcasters invest new resources in programming and service, and additional wireless spectrum opens the way to greater competition and innovation in the mobile broadband marketplace.”

There were a number of big winners in the auction — namely T-Mobile. The “un-carrier” spent a massive $8 billion in the auction, and as a result it won the biggest number of licenses. Dish came in second, spending $6.2 billion, while Comcast came in third with $1.7 billion.

The new spectrum (which refers to the range of frequencies used to wirelessly transmit data) will be very helpful to those companies, as they will use them to build out their wireless networks. Having access to a broader spectrum means faster and wider coverage. The 600MHz band is largely what was up for grabs in this particular auction, and traditionally it has been used for TV signals. It works particularly well across large distances, which will help companies keep up with expanding coverage.

You can see a list of all 175 TV stations that got payouts and the winning wireless bidders here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Christian de Looper

Contributor

Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

Mobile

The FCC has officially approved the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint

susan collins net neutrality fcc commissioners

The Federal Communications Commission has officially approved the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. A few weeks ago, the FCC voted to approve the deal, but now it has released its official approval order and statements on the merger.

In the statements released by the FCC, the Commission made it clear that the approval was largely in an effort to create stronger 5G networks in the U.S. T-Mobile and Sprint have long argued that a merger would speed up the rollout of 5G, and it seems like the FCC agrees. The vote was approved 3-2, with the three Republican members voting in favor and two Democrats opposed.

Mobile

T-Mobile-Sprint merger jumps another hurdle with official FCC approval

t mobile revvl news

The T-Mobile/Sprint merger is one step closer to becoming a reality. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has formally voted to approve the merger, just a few months after the Department of Justice (DOJ) gave its approval.

The news isn't all that surprising. In May, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he would vote for the merger as long as the two companies committed to a fast rollout of 5G tech. Other Republican commissioners also signaled support for the merger. The two Democratic commissioners on the FCC have voiced disapproval for the merger, with one commissioner, Jessica Rosenworcel, penning an op-ed about it in the Atlantic earlier today.

Deals

It’s time to get creative: Get up to 20% off Autodesk software with this deal

Tech Center at Birmingham, Hermle using autodesk software to design.

This content was produced in partnership with Autodesk.
AutoCAD has long been a staple of design and drafting tool sets, from architects and engineers to construction pros. It allows you to both design and annotate your creations, using 2D geometry and 3D models complete with textures, solids, surfaces, and mesh objects. Why does that matter? It massively helps design new physical objects and spaces in a digital form. But AutoCAD goes way beyond that, as do most of Autodesk's software tools. It can be expensive to sign up for access, especially if you have a small to medium-sized team. With the current Autodesk software deal, you not only have the opportunity to try out the tools for free, but also you can get a significant discount, and lock in your price for three years. Between April 17 and 20, you can get 20% off AutoCAD LT and Revit LT Suit, and 15% off AutoCAD. That discount drops AutoCAD's price down to $1,564 -- if paid annually -- saving you nearly $400 ($391). That's an excellent deal but it won't be available for very long so act soon.

This Autodesk software deal nets you access to the company's latest products, namely AutoCAD which is an incredibly useful design and creativity tool. The most important takeaway is that it helps you complete your professional projects faster by unlocking access to automations and customizations. For example, you can fully customize your workspace with add-on apps and APIs that essentially transform the way you create, manipulate, and work with objects in the toolset. You can make things faster, especially the more you use the tool for your designs.