FCC Publishes Forward Auction Guide

The FCC has posted the spectrum auction forward auction bidding guide, the next stage in its progress toward the second portion of the broadcast spectrum auction.

The FCC is expected to release a list of the eligible bidders--qualified bidders who have made up-front payments--by the end of this week, and launch the forward auction sometime in early-to-mid August. It can start no fewer than 15 business days after the eligible bidders public notice is released.

The reverse portion of the incentive auction ended June 29.

The 95-page guide explains the clock bidding, how to use the computer bidding system and the minimum requirements. For example, Internet Explorer 11 or a "Recent" version of Google Chrome, configured to accept cookies.

And while the bidding is for spectrum most likely used for wireles broadband, bidding from smartphones or tablets is not supported.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.