Verizon Says It Doesn't Need More Low-Band Spectrum; Comcast Says Xfinity Mobile Doesn't Need TV Spectrum

Friday blog post. “The next big technological innovations are coming in 5G to serve the future needs of business, education, government and consumers,” Verizon said in its most complete comments yet on the recently concluded auction. “Enhanced fixed and mobile broadband, low-latency services and massive IoT scale will thrive on mid-band and millimeter wave spectrum, which is where we are focused for growth. This means more connected services and devices, and higher broadband capacity that can benefit our entire society.” Verizon said it already has “sufficient spectrum holdings below 1 GHz.” The carrier went big in the 2008 700 MHz auction, buying the entire C-band in the Lower 48 states, plus licenses in the A and B-bands. Verizon also cited problems with the TV spectrum. “Future use of 600 MHz spectrum -- only good in the U.S. and not globally -- will take some time to figure out and deploy widely, especially in busy urban locations,” Verizon said. The carrier mentioned T-Mobile, not by name. "One competitor spent $8 billion for 600 MHz spectrum to finally acquire a national low-band spectrum position," Verizon said. "They need it, desperately. And while they continue to play catch up in 4G, we’ve had the largest national LTE Advanced footprint on 700 MHz spectrum for seven years, and it keeps getting better." T-Mobile didn't comment Friday on the auction results. "We are investing in the future," Verizon said. "We have access to 28 GHz and 39 GHz spectrum that we will use for 5G. And the fiber we acquired through our XO and Corning transactions are enhancing our current networks with a keen eye toward future needs." Comcast meanwhile has no current plans for the $1.7 billion in spectrum it bought in the auction (see 1704130056), and that spectrum won't be cleared by the FCC and available for use for several years anyway, the company said in a statement Thursday, after the auction's quiet period ended. It said the spectrum isn't necessary for the rollout and growth of its Xfinity Mobile service. It called the spectrum "a strategically compelling investment at historically low prices." AT&T also commented Friday. "The auction was a win for the FCC, the economy, consumers and the wireless industry," a spokesman said. "Spectrum is essential for our business and we believe we’re taking the right steps. Our strategy for spending was driven by a variety of factors that evolved over time."