Auction Day 15: Pesky competitors not giving up

Canada's new entrant wannabe wireless operators aren't yet ready to throw in the towel in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless (AWS) services spectrum auction. Bragg Communications, Shaw Communications, Globalive Communications and Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless (DAVE) are still battling the incumbent wireless operators for bandwidth in Atlantic Canada, the West and in parts of Ontario.At the end of Day 15, Globalive had standing high bids on 22 properties worth $564 million, and DAVE has 13 standing high bids for $228 million. A list of the top new entrants, their standing high bid values and number of licences is below.Already sitting on 30 MHz of spectrum in most Atlantic licences, Bragg, the owner of EastLink, is still in the hunt to acquire what appears to be at least another 20 MHz of bandwidth. The Atlantic Canadian cable, telephony and Internet provider has been fighting Rogers Communications and Bell Mobility over the seven A-band and E-band properties in Atlantic Canada ever since the company revealed its true strategy on Day 6. Bragg is also locked in a battle with both wireless incumbents for the 20 MHz F-band licences on the East Coast.For most of the day control over several 20 MHz A-band licences in British Columbia and Alberta seesawed between Shaw and Rogers. Some of the contested properties include Medicine Hat/Brooks and Lethbridge in Alberta, Prince George and Thompson in northern BC as well as the three licences covering Vancouver Island. Shaw is also locked in a battle with Telus Mobility over many of the same licences but in the 20 MHz F-band.DAVE, which already controls 10 MHz D-band licences in many of the larger centres in Western Canada, was looking to bolster its spectrum holdings in smaller centres in Ontario. Throughout the day, the company bid on 20 MHz licences, covering Guelph/Kitchener and Barrie as well as 10 MHz licences in Niagara-St. Catharines Listowel/Goderich/Stratford.Globalive was the least active of the new entrants in bidding on ILEC spectrum. It was involved in a handful of battles covering some of Ontario's smaller cities such as Abitibi, Brockville, Peterborough, North Bay and Cobourg. The Yak Communications owner spent most of the day battling Vidéotron in Quebec.The battle between Globalive and Vidéotron had cooled at the end of last week with Globalive as standing higher bidder on a number of 10 MHz D-band properties from Bas du fleuve/Gaspésie to Montreal. But the Quebec communications firm today re-engaged Globalive on Monday with bids for the Montreal, Bas du fleuve/Gaspésie and Chicoutimi-Jonquière licences.Vidéotron had committed $436 million for 23 licences on Monday. The incumbent wireless operators continue to lead the way in bidding. Rogers has committed more than $800 million for 41 licences, Telus is standing high bidder on 47 licences valued at nearly $737 million and Bell $635 million in standing high bids for 48 properties.Top New Entrant Standing High BidsGlobalive Wireless LP $ 564,608,317 229193-2962 Québec Inc. (Vidéotron) $ 436,595,000 23Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises (DAVE) $ 228,599,000 131380057 Alberta Ltd. (Shaw) $ 167,341,249 236934579 Canada Inc. $ 48,715,077 46934242 Canada Ltd. (MTS Allstream) $ 45,573,750 4Bragg Communications Inc. $ 39,841,349 30

Auction Day 15: Pesky competitors not giving up

News | 06/16/2008 11:46 pm EDT

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