After all these years and so many auctions, I am getting weary. 

The question now is:  Is there money to be made on a limited focus wireless network? 

I will be the first to tell you that selling telecom services to the government is a big money maker.  This is not like the defense business where you charge several thousand dollars to buy one toilet.  Selling telecom services to the government; federal, state, and local, is all about volume. 

The only bidders for this type of spectrum auction are going to be the big carriers and Morgan O’Brien.  Critics fail to understand that financing a network, any network, is a high proposition.  Despite what critics are saying, a company has a right to pay its workers and contractors decent wages.  Don’t assume that just because the network is for emergency response work the network build is going to be inexpensive.  Complex technology is not cheap.  

Building any network, even at cost, is expensive.  A fee of $500M over 10 years is low when you really think about it.  The reality is that the big established carriers do not want to build and operate a network exclusively for emergency services, unless they are guaranteed minimum monthly fee per customer.  Do critics want the network for nothing? 

A new auction is necessary for civic reasons.  A new auction can bring opportunity for investors.  The question is can investors see this as a long term investment or a short term gouging? 

Operators of such a network may be able to get creative in the way services are packaged to public safety officials.  You just never know. 

Operating a network like this can be a huge cash cow over the long haul.  Investors interested in operating such a network will find this a lucrative business over 10 years.  However, investors looking for a quick buck need to stay away from this.