The First Private Online Spectrum Auction

By enhancing SpecEx, we are now able to offer a unique auction ability for spectrum holders to market and sell their excess spectrum licenses. At the IWCE tradeshow in Las Vegas we made the announcement of an offering which will be up for auction:

(1.) Very High Frequency (VHF) spectrum licenses covering 78 counties in Florida and South Georgia

For the show, we also created a flyer with some additional info: Auction Flyer

This spectrum is highly desirable due to its geographic coverage and the wide availability of compatible digital radio equipment from leading vendors including Motorola, Kenwood, Midland and others. In fact, some of the spectrum to be auctioned is being used by Motorola to showcase their MOTOTRBO radio system at the IWCE 2009 Expo.

“With multiple wireless networks across the United States, we are focusing our resources on growing these operational markets,” said Scott MacIntyre, President of Data Radio Management Company Inc. “The undeveloped spectrum assets in Florida are valuable, but they no longer fit in to our current business plans. We’ve had a great working relationship with the Spectrum Bridge team for over a year so we are excited that they offered us the opportunity to monetize this spectrum using an online auction. One of the big advantages of an auction is that it creates an open and level playing field for all interested buyers.”

The licenses can be used for specialized mobile radio (SMR) services, as well as government and private voice/data radio systems. Utilities, oil and gas producers, casinos, transportation, public safety and emergency response agencies, as well as other enterprises and agencies that must reliability communicate with large fleets of two-way radios, can benefit from this spectrum.

For additional auction information, complete prospectus or other license details, please call 1-866-598-7426 or contact Mickey DeChellis at (407) 792-1570 x513.

We also have an area set up on our homepage titled "Announcing the Industry's First Online Spectrum Auction" with some linked articles and the official press release.

Additional licenses for sale or lease can be found at SpecEx.com.

An Overview of the Broadband Stimulus with a Wireless Perspective

By Christian L. Duffus, CFO, Spectrum Bridge, Inc.

OVERVIEW:
There is a unique opportunity in the wireless industry as presented in the Rural Utilities Service Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the “Act”) also commonly referred to as the “Broadband Stimulus Package.”

Specifically, $1 billion or over 35% of the $2.825 billion for Broadband Deployment Grants has been stipulated towards Wireless (see section 3102 of this Act). The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) will be carrying out the program designed to award grants to eligible entities for the non-recurring costs associated with the deployment of broadband infrastructure in rural, suburban, and urban areas.

The section of the Act relating to Wireless Deployment Grants, states the priorities as (i) wireless voice service in un-served areas and (ii) advanced wireless broadband service in underserved areas which are defined as those not representing, in the aggregate, more than 20 percent of the population or of the geographic area of such State. Additionally, there is extra consideration for proposals that can be accomplished in the near-term, or timeline of the Act.

CONSIDERATIONS:

There will be a number of one-off opportunities to receive grant funds to build and strengthen your business.

Applicants that have well conceived plans and resources will be given priority consideration. Furthermore, many of the program objectives and implementation processes are quite vague. It behooves prospective participants to engage and shape the process; the NTIA is open and willing to take feedback on your ideas.

That said, one way to increase the likelihood of receiving grant funds are creative, public-private partnerships where you can bring something to the table (i.e., spectrum). Many not-for-profit entities are in some cases better situated for selection over some for-profit only entities. This is driven by a number of the public service stipulations to the Act funds. Conversely these not-for-profits may not have the capabilities to complete the proposals because of their lack of technical ability and/or assets or vice versa. If you don’t already license, one example is to secure, purchase or lease options on available spectrum (see: SpecEx.com) in the intended rural service areas to “bring something to the table.” These organizations can include but are not limited to Cities, Counties, Public Safety, Educational and Healthcare institutions. Finally, by bringing your technical and operational know-how as a WISP, you would add tremendous value to the success of these organizations’ proposals and your business plans.

KEY DATES:
Public Meetings Schedule:

• March 16 (Washington, DC)
• March 17 (Las Vegas, NV)
• March 18 (Flagstaff, NM)
• March 19 (Washington, DC)
• March 23 (Washington, DC)
• March 24 (Washington, DC)

These meetings also will be streamed on the Internet (www.ntia.doc.gov).

Funding Schedule:

• April-June 2009
• October-December 2009
• April-June 2010

It is likely that funding for a round will be completed before applications for the following round are submitted. Application deadlines will be announced in Notices of Availability of Funds that will be published in the Federal Register (www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/). (Source Rini Coran)

UTC Region 3 Spring Meeting Review, Biloxi MS, March 4 -6 2009

This was the first regional UTC show we had the opportunity to attend or speak at, so we were fortunate to do both. There was a well attended vendor showcase on the evening of the 5th. About 30 vendors had booths and were kept busy by the 150 plus attendees. The next day consisted of 5 technical paper presentations. In addition to Spectrum Bridge, GE, Tait and Exhalt focused on wireless technologies and solutions. All the presentations were well received and elicited good questions from the audience.

Many utilities expressed a significant need for spectrum that supports point to point microwave and backhaul, in addition to mobile radio and wide area networks for automatic meter reading /smart infrastructure. This provides additional opportunities for Spectrum Bridge as our microwave portfolio becomes more robust in both coverage and channel capacity.

Spectrum Bridge will also be exhibiting at the UTC Telecom 2009 show in Las Vegas from June 1st through the 4th. If you are attending this show - please come see us.

Spectrum Marketplace Gets Upgraded

SpecEx, the online marketplace for spectrum™ announced new features for members and visitors this week. An email alert was sent out notifying members and interested parties of the recent upgrades, with a bulleted list of additions:

• Real-time searches for available spectrum – now open to ALL visitors – search now
• Satellite mapping of offered frequencies
• Share, print or bookmark favorite listings
• “Knowledge Center” containing complete historical auction data

These features were added to the original SpecEx features:

• Nationwide spectrum inventory
• Request spectrum you need
• Custom “Watch List” feature
• One-step easy listing of unused spectrum assets
• A growing channel partner program
• Access to spectrum experts

One of the most significant changes to the SpecEx site is the ability for non-members to do a search for available spectrum from the homepage. Earlier versions of the site required membership to search through the marketplace's inventory (with a possible fee attached). But now, with the browsing ability open to all, the SpecEx site has become more friendly to anyone curious to what is accessible on the secondary market.