Mobile service provider strategic priorities were clear enough at the conclusion of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service 3.5-GHz Priority Access License spectrum auction. Incumbent firms and new entrants who urgently needed more spectrum in the mid-band region--principally Verizon and Dish Network--were aggressive acquirers.
Other firms with lots of existing mid-band spectrum--especially T-Mobile--barely participated.
New entrants, including a few large cable TV companies, also were leading acquirers.
Noticeable by its absence was AT&T, which did not win any licenses, and appears not to have bid at all. The strategy there seems to be to “go big” in the upcoming C-band auctions. Where the CBRS auction had 70 MHz of spectrum available, the C-band auction will feature 280 MHz of spectrum.
Verizon spent $1.9 billion on 557 licenses, while Dish Network (participating as Wetterhorn Wireless) shelled out $912.9 million for 5,492 licenses.
Prior to the CBRS spectrum auction, Verizon arguably had the lowest amount of mid-band spectrum of the other leading incumbents, or new entrant Dish Network. The obvious strategic imperative for Verizon and Dish was to level the playing field, at least until the next round of mid-band spectrum auctions late in 2020.
Charter Communications (Spectrum Wireless Holdings) bid $464.2 million on 210 licenses; Comcast (XF Wireless Investment) $458.7 million for 830; and Cox Communications $212.8 million on 470 licenses.
The FCC in December 2020 plans to begin auctioning off 280 MHz of C-band spectrum.
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