Verizon Wireless admits to hoarding spectrum, ends any argument about a spectrum crunch
by William Neilson Jr.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received a record-breaking $44.9 billion worth of bids in the spectrum auction of AWS-3 airwaves. As I noted at the time, this was proof itself of the absurdity in wireless carriers claiming that Title II rules would deter industry investment.
But the auction also proved that wireless carriers, such as Verizon, should stop crying about a "disastrous spectrum crunch" coming if regulators don't do precisely what the major carriers want. It wasn't even three years ago that Verizon told the FCC that they were running out of spectrum. Verizon was telling the FCC this because they were pushing the FCC to approve a spectrum and marketing deal with the cable industry. Of course, Verizon was at the same time telling investors in
2012 that they had more than enough spectrum for a variety of future projects.-or-