Two points. First, I did have spectrum auctions on the mind when writing the paper, and in fact I do mention then, but not in depth, and of course there is only so much ground you can cover in one paper.

Second, though i didn’t have time to get into it, I consider some of the other “open access” regimes failures for various reasons — first, crazy pricing ideas, second, lack of a truly separate market. But the network / physical attachment is a proven divide, hence the proposal for cellular carterfone.

Getting network access rules right is very hard — though if you get it right the results can be spectacular. Ideally the separation happens without regulation (that’s what happened with the internet, though not the phone networks). As I said in the paper, ideally consumer and public pressure will move the mobile networks toward a more open posture;

It may however take enforcement of the actual Part 68 rules — you’ll see some of that coming up soon.

The continuing auctions of spectrum tends to scare me, mainly because an auction of a resource like that would logically only be won by the highest bidders. The highest bidders also being the most well-funded corporations already in existence who want to protect their turf.

Now, the question part – I don’t know how the auctions have gone in the past. Have their been small, innovative start-up companies that do manage to get their hands on spectrum in the auctions?