SNS in the News - September 12, 2002

Immediate Release


FCC May Return Wireless Carriers' Auction Debt

As Technology Analyst Mark Anderson first suggested in July 2001

SEATTLE - Sept. 12, 2002 - In July 2001, international analyst Mark Anderson, first suggested that governments should return the money paid in wireless spectrum auctions. Now, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is about to announce a move to free wireless carriers from $15.9 billion in debt from the January 2001 auction of spectrum licenses.

The FCC could either allow carriers to opt out of the auction, freed from their bid obligations, or the Commission could call for public comment on recommendations for resolving the issue. The overhanging obligations have proved burdensome to wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless, whose debt is under review for possible downgrade by Moody's.

This is just one of the ideas suggested in July 2001 by Mark Anderson, publisher of Strategic News Service. In his 'Modest Proposal' issue July 25, 2001, Anderson suggested:
  1. Governments offer guaranteed, low-cost, long-term loans to all winning bidders in all pure auctions for 3G, worldwide. Anderson suggested Europeans lead the offer, because they are smarter than the U.S. in understanding the power and value of getting ahead in wireless communications.
  2. Governments should both allow and encourage all winning bidders to share facilities, from antennae to towers, further reducing the additional $200B plus that operators are now facing in rolling out the equipment for 3G.
  3. Fast-track the project. National leaders should take a united stand in favor of these two steps and make public announcements as soon as possible.
Anderson presented this proposal to the United States Democratic Senate Technology Roundtable in October 2001. (The meeting had been postponed from 9-11)

About Strategic News Service Founded in 1995, SNS is the most accurate predictive letter covering the computer and telecom industries. It is personally read by the top managers at companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Compaq, Sun, Netscape, and MCI, as well as by leading financial analysts at the world's top investment banks and venture capital funds, including Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Hummer Winblad, Venrock and Warburg Pincus. It is regularly quoted in top industry publications such as BusinessWeek, Newsweek, Infoworld, Institutional Investor, Upside, the Financial Times, the New York Times, and elsewhere.

About the Publisher Mark Anderson is president of the Strategic News Service(tm) LLC and Technology Alliance Partners. TAP was founded in 1989, and provides trends and marketing alliance assistance to firms leading the convergence of telecom and computing. Mark is a Seybold Fellow. He is the founder of two software companies and of the Washington Software Alliance Investors' Forum, Washington's premier software investment conference; and has participated in the launch of many software startups. A past director of the WSA, Mark chairs the WSA Presidents' Group. He regularly appears on the Wall Street Review/KSDO, CNN, and National Public Radio/KPLU programs. Mark is a member of the Merrill Lynch Technology Advisory Board, and is an advisor and/or investor in Authora, Ontain, Ignition Partners, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and others. He also serves on the board of the not-for-profit Hybrid Vigor Institute, and is a principal in the investment advisory firm Resonance Capital Management LLC, that manages the accounts of institutions and high-net-worth investors, focused on technology markets.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Milburn, 206-972-9096