The FCC ended bidding for the 700 megahertz spectrum yesterday. Verizon Communications and AT&T won the largest shares of 
the spectrum after 260 rounds of bidding. The FCC raised $19.12 billion from bidders. Verizon and AT&T won more than $16 billion worth of licenses, airwaves they plan to use to for voice, data services and new wireless technologies.
Frontier Wireless, a partner of DISH Network, spent $711 million to buy a part of the airwaves that leaves open the possibility of a nationwide video network.
Verizon outbid Google and won the biggest nationwide block of spectrum with a bid of $4.74 billion. This loss by Google puts to rest speculation that Google will jump into the wireless business any time soon. But the company sees the auction as a victory for Google. The bidding was high enough to trigger the “open-platform” rules it requested for the nationwide airwaves won by Verizon.
Google called it a victory for American consumers. “Consumers soon should begin enjoying new, Internet-like freedom to get the most out of their mobile phones and other wireless devices,” said a statement from Google lawyers Richard Whitt and Joseph Faber.
AT&T won 227 regional licenses. These should fit in well with the piece of spectrum it acquired by buying Aloha Partners for $2.5 billion.
“AT&T’s strong spectrum holdings position the company to further enhance the quality and reliability of existing wireless broadband and voice services, and to set the foundation for new-generation wireless broadband technologies and services,” Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T’s wireless unit, said in a statement.
Verizon spent $9.63 billion at the auction. AT&T was second with a total of $6.64 billion spent.
The FCC set aside the D block of the spectrum because no one met the minimum bid required. The D block must be shared with public agencies like police and fire departments that have overriding usage in an emergency. It is speculated that the FCC will re-auction the D block with rules that make it more attractive to buyers.
Via Mobilecrunch
10 years ago, things were a bit different. We didn’t stream the internet to our cellphones, 3D gaming was in its infancy and the iPod didn’t exist. In an electronic world where Moore’s Law is still going strong, it’s hard to imagine using any piece of tech you might own 10 years from now. But Sony marketing manager John Koller thinks you’ll do just that.
There’s no question that we’re big fans of 
When’s the last time you saw a Japanese person play golf? Perhaps with these Star Wars themed golf bags and cozies, they’ll be more inclined to put down their Wii Golf and do some Real Golf. Or perhaps not, since golf is the most boring sport we have the ability to imagine. You know what would spice up golf? Golf with katanas. Or lightsabers. [
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