"The commission is acting on policies that were based on technology as it stood seven or eight years ago, which makes it very difficult to make sense out of LMDS," says David Ackerman, executive vice president of WinStar Communications Inc., an operator of wireless services at 38 GHz that has amassed spectrum blocks averaging close to 500 megahertz in 160 markets nationwide.
WinStar (www.winstar.com), which would like to have even more spectrum to work with, has looked at LMDS, but, Ackerman says: "Why should we bid for a 1,150-MHz block of spectrum when the commission says it's going to put 1,400 MHz on the market at 38 GHz later next year?"
Other parties building wireless broadband strategies agree.
Teleport Communications Group, which owns 38-GHz operator BizTel Corp. and was expected by some insiders to bid in LMDS, doesn't intend to get involved in that auction, says a company executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"There are other options for us, and we're looking at all of them," he says.
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Wow, 1400 MHz of spectrum at 38 GHz to be auctioned this year!!
If that's on top of the 700 MHz already available, spectrum at 38 GHz would about double LMDS.
I think we're gonna have a tremendous amount of fun for the next few years as this all plays out. Can't wait to see what develops. |
