In Wireless Auction, Limited Interest in Public Safety Spectrum
By Reuters  |  Posted 01-30-2008  Bidding remained stalled
Tuesday on a key piece of spectrum in the U.S. government's
wireless airwaves auction, prompting concern regulators will
have to modify rules requiring some of it be shared with public
safety agencies.  After 12 rounds of bidding over four days, the
Federal Communications Commission still has received only one
bid for a portion of the 700-megahertz airwaves known as the "D"
block, that could also be used by police, firefighters and other
public safety officials.  Top bids for all five spectrum blocks
on offer reached nearly $8.66 billion on Tuesday. The auction is
widely expected to net the federal government at least $10
billion.  The lone $472 million bid for the D block spectrum,
which came in the first round of the auction last Thursday, is
far below the $1.3 billion minimum price set by the FCC.  Rep.
Edward Markey, chairman of the House Subcommittee on the
Internet and Telecommunic