GigaOM Pro

Wireless Week this morning is reporting on a story that isn’t getting much attention yet but could be very important: AT&T is pushing hard for legislation that would strip the FCC of some of its authority regarding spectrum auctions, pitting the massive carrier against smaller regional operators as well as Sprint and T-Mobile USA. The bill would bar the FCC from limiting bidders based on any factors other than “technical, financial and character” reasons, which would preclude the FCC using the auction to foster competition. The FCC has consistently said it hopes to use spectrum auctions to create a more competitive marketplace, which is a noble goal in this era of carrier consolidation. That may not be truly feasible — after all, the “openness” rules of the 700MHz auction didn’t really amount to much — but it’d be a shame if the FCC couldn’t even try.