Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have together submitted a proposal to the Federal Communications Commission concerning the upcoming 600MHz auction.
Much of the spectrum in the 600MHz band currently belongs to television stations. The FCC is offering those stations cash to give up their 6MHz slices of spectrum in a reverse incentive auction. Verizon and T-Mobile laid out four principles they believe the FCC should meet as it settles on the rules regarding the auction. The most significant aspect of the companies’ plan calls for a single band to cover the 35x35MHz pairing. By creating a single Band Class, the two hope to avoid some of the issues that have beset the 700MHz spectrum and the varied Band Classes used by different carriers around the country. “This will enable carriers to deploy wireless services quickly and will drive manufacturers to develop devices that work on all carrier networks and for all customers,” said Verizon and T-Mobile. The carriers also want to maximize the amount of spectrum made available, allow for quick and inexpensive development of devices and networking equipment, and allocate unpaired spectrum for downlink operations.
The FCC is still writing the rules for the auction, and there are still plenty of unknowns, including just how many television stations will participate and give up their spectrum.
