Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Courtesy of T-Mobile
The major buyers in a closely watched government airwaves auction include T-Mobile, Dish Network and Comcast, the FCC said on Thursday.
Why it matters: The auction was the first of its kind, where the FCC bought valuable airwaves from broadcasters and resold it to wireless carriers. The winners — smaller wireless competitor T-Mobile and relative wireless newcomers Comcast and Dish — have ambitions to expand their services to take on dominant wireless providers AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
"T-Mobile now has the largest swath of unused low-band spectrum in the country. That is a BFD for our customers!" — T-Mobile CEO John Legere
The details: T-Mobile spent more than any other buyer — almost $8 billion — for the largest number of spectrum licenses. Dish followed with $6.2 billion in bids. Comcast and financial firm Columbia Capital were also linked to major winning bidders. AT&T spent roughly $910 million, putting it among some of the larger bidders, and Verizon didn't end up with any spectrum.
Key context: The auction raised less money than some had predicted, bringing in $10.05 billion for broadcasters and sending $7.3 billion to the federal treasury for deficit reduction. Wireless carriers bid $19.8 billion in total. But officials bristled at the idea that expectations had not been met. "The equilibrium was found, the auction mechanism worked," said Gary Epstein, who led the auction.
What's next: The agency begins the complex process of redistributing the spectrum bought and sold as part of the auction, which includes moving some broadcasters to new frequencies.