The Wall Street Journal-20080125-Politics - Economics- In Brief
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Politics & Economics: In Brief
Senate Rejects Attempt to Strip
Immunity from Surveillance Bill
The Senate rejected an attempt by Democrats to strip from surveillance legislation a provision that would bar lawsuits against phone companies alleged to have helped the government's warrantless spying, handing President Bush a small initial victory. Meanwhile, in an effort to secure support in the House for the immunity provision, the White House yesterday gave some House lawmakers access to long- sought documents outlining the post-Sept. 11 requests to telecommunications companies and other related documents. The developments were the latest maneuvering as the White House attempts to use the Feb. 1 expiration of a temporary surveillance law to force reluctant Democrats to support its preferred version of a permanent bill.
FCC's Auction of Airwaves
Draws $2.8 Billion in Bids So Far
The first two rounds of the much-anticipated Federal Communications Commission auction of communications airwaves yesterday drew $2.8 billion in prospective bids, the agency said. Nearly half the money, some $1.24 billion, was bid by one participant seeking a national license for a swath of 22 megahertz of radio spectrum. The minimum ultimate price tag for this section of airwaves is $4.6 billion, meaning bidding for it is likely to be limited to large companies. The bidding for a second national license of 10 megahertz topped out at $472 million in the first round. The winner of that license will have to work with the public safety community to build a national wireless broadband network for use by police and firefighters. The airwaves being sold are some of the most powerful to come available to wireless carriers. The government expects the auction to raise around $10 billion when it is completed.
