Wi-Fi In-flight Auction Lands the U.S. Treasury $38.3 Million

摘要

While Government regulation of communication may seem like a crystal-clear area of the law, the internet has kicked up a whole lot of static. The demand for anytime, anywhere internet access has gone sky-high. In June, the FCC auctioned off frequencies for in-flight wireless internet access on all domestic flights. Bidders filed applications to participate in the auction in March, and the Upfront Payments Deadline was established as April 17, 2006. The auction officially opened with nine qualified bidders on May 10 and closed on June 2 after 144 bidding rounds. AC Bidco LLC came out on top with the highest bid. For $31.3 million, it received an FCC license for 3MHz of the 4MHz band, while Live TV LLC (a subsidiary of the low-cost airline JetBlue) was the next highest bidder at $7 million, garnering it a license for the remaining 1MHz. The $38.3 million raised will go into the U.S. Treasury.