The AWS-3 spectrum auction finished its sixth day just south of $30 billion in bids, and on the news that the second of two reserve prices had been met: the $580 million reserve for 15 MHz of unpaired spectrum.
At the end of round 23, the auction had drawn $29,896,522,500 in bids on $1,159,827,900 on 882 new bids. That bid total was down from earlier rounds where the numbers were in the four-figures.
"At the conclusion of Round 23, the provisionally winning bid amounts, net of any applicable bidding credit discounts, for the unpaired 1695-1710 MHz licenses (the licenses in Blocks A1 and B1) exceeded $579,775,900, thus meeting the aggregate reserve price for these licenses in Auction 97)," the FCC said.
The auction can now close for either that band or the 50 MHz of paired spectrum, which has already surpassed its $10.07 reserve, after "no bids are placed or withdrawn for any license in that block" and "no bidder applies a proactive waiver."
The AWS-3 auction has now covered the $7 billion for FirstNet, the interoperable broadband public safety network, which means less financial pressure on the 2016 broadcast incentive auction.
