Mark McIntyre <markmcintyre@spamcop.net> wrote:
> John Navas wrote:
>> Not so:
>> * Auctioning spectrum ensures the most efficient use of that spectrum.
>
> Not really - the 3G auction in the UK is a case in point. The spectrum
> is sitting empty, and likely to remain so, because nobody was interested
> in buying the overpriced services the auction "winners" wanted to sell....

That's not right. Not only do at least 4 of the 5 wireless operators
in the UK now provide 3G services (and one of those operators, Three, only
has 3G spectrum) but data service seems downright reasonably priced compared
to the US, let alone compared to the price of anything else in the UK. One
of the UK prepaid SIMs I have gets 3.6 Mbps HSDPA service with charges
capped at $2 per day, with the other you can buy a week of HSDPA for $5;
I've used both of these with my laptop. You can't get 3G service on a
prepaid account in the US at any price, and even the postpaid contract
service you can buy in the US if you commit to pay for it for a year or
two isn't any cheaper than that.

It is the case that the UK operators were thought to have overpaid for
the spectrum, but they seem to be over that now and these days are
competing on price.

Dennis Ferguson