Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org) Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:37:07 -0600

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An auction of U.S. airwaves that could be used for wireless video and high-speed Internet access will likely go ahead in June, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said on Friday. Wireless companies are typically hungry for more airwaves to expand and improve their services. Companies like Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless, the two largest U.S. carriers, are rolling out new products, like broadband and video. "I think the commission still intends (on) going forward with the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) auction in June, in this summer," Martin told reporters after an FCC meeting. "I anticipate that we are going to move forward with it, I don't have any other plans." The FCC said in late 2004 that the sale could occur as early as June 2006. Some of the airwaves to be sold are being cleared by U.S. government operations and some of the expected auction proceeds are being earmarked to cover the costs of moving those services, estimated to be almost $936 million. The FCC sale can only be completed if the proceeds from the sale bring in at least 10 percent more than those costs. Cingular Wireless, the No. 1 U.S. carrier, is a joint venture of BellSouth Corp. and AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless is the No. 2 provider and a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc. Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html

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