US 600MHz Incentive Auction: Reverse Auction Rules & Forward Auction Rules

The US "Incentive Auction" of 600MHz (UHF) bandwidth is the most ambitious spectrum auction ever proposed. Up to 144 MHz of "beachfront" radio frequencies could be repurposed from terrestrial broadcasting to mobile broadband. While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is still in the process of soliciting public input on the auction design, what is known is that the process will combine two separate but linked auctions:

1. A Reverse Auction, which will identify a set of prices at which broadcasters are prepared to relinquish channels or move frequency band; and
2. A Forward Auction, which will determine how much cellular operators are willing to pay to acquire the frequencies.