700 MHz: 200 rounds and counting: Bidders remain focused on B Block

For those anxiously waiting for the conclusion of the Federal Communication Commission’s 700 MHz auction, you can blame five B-Block licenses for the holdup.
Bidding over the past several rounds has centered on five 12-megahertz B-Block spectrum licenses covering Albany, Ga.; Yuba City and Imperial, Calif.; Ashtabula, Ohio; and Hunterdon, N.J. Each license received one new bid between rounds 194 and 199, with the Ashtabula, Hunterdon and two California licenses having received single new bids since round 189. Albany joined the mix for round 194, replacing the B-Block license covering Burlington, N.C., which has not received a new bid since. Round 194 also saw a single bid for the B-Block covering Colfax, N.M.
The Hunterdon license is the most expensive license with a new bid, sitting just short of $1 million after round 199. New bids added less than $1 million during the past 10 rounds. The event’s total potential winning bids sit at $19.589 billion.
The A Block has not received a new bid since round 189, while the E Block has been quiet since round 184.
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Despite the small number of new bids per round, the FCC has not chosen to move the current bidding schedule beyond the 10 rounds per day that was initiated on March 4. A move to 14 rounds per day during the advanced wireless services auction in 2006 brought a quick end to the proceedings.
The FCC is expected to release the names of license winners 10 days after the auction concludes.