The advanced wireless spectrum auction is heating up and Verizon Wireless is starting to show its size. At the end of 14 rounds Verizon Wireless is the top bidder for the top six spectrum licenses. The price tag for that air is currently $3.5 billion, but the auction is far from over and prices are still rising rapidly.
T-Mobile lead the pack in the first round but has fallen behind since. Discount carriers MetroPCS and Cricket have both been active. Overall the auction currently has $7.3 billion in bids. Insiders have said the total could push $15 billion when all is said in done.
It's a wireless auction so wireline companies aren't really making a play. But I guess you could argue AT&T because Cingular is bidding.
I know CenturyTel is bidding.
I wonder why ALLTEL hasn't got in on the bidding? I think it's strategic how ALLTEL has many towers between the East Coast and the West Coast. So when someone travels from, let's say, NY to LA, they are very likely to use an ALLTEL tower here and there. But then again, ALLTEL is a little slow in jumping on the new stuff.
Who is the leading wireline company at the auction?