n the auction held on March 29, 2016, and is in the process of building out the FirstNet network for first responders from diverse communities to communicate with each other to coordinate strategy in natural disasters and national emergencies. This first-ever incentive auction resulted in refarming spectrum from use for analog TV channels to a national public safety network. As a result of the auction, over- www.TechnicalPDF.com the-air broadcasters changed from analog to digital TV using the spectrum given to them by the FCC. Digital airwaves have capacity for two channels in the same amount of spectrum needed for one analog channel. In addition to spectrum for the public safety network, cellular providers won spectrum for new mobile wireless licenses needed to add capacity to their cellular networks. Auctions Held between 1998 and 2017 In 1998, the FCC auctioned PCS 1.9GHz spectrum to open mobile services to new providers. The goal was to increase competition, thus lowering per minute prices SO that more users could afford cellular service. Prior to this there were only two providers in each part of the United States: the incumbent telephone company and a single competitor. The FCC auctioned a 700MHz block in 2008 to a variety of carriers for higher-capacity, higher-data-rate services. Verizon Wireless won regional licenses to spectrum in the A and B blocks, and AT&T Mobility won rights in the B and C blocks. AT&T's B blocks are in a different region from Verizon's. None of the licenses cover the entire country. The auction raised $19 billion for the federal government. All of the auction winners were required to use this spectrum to build networks capable of supporting higher-speed data on next-generation LTE networks. In 2014 an AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) auction of 1.755 to 1.78GHz and 2.15 and 2.18GHz spectrum bands was held. Results were announced in 2015. The winners were, in decreasing order of the amount of spectrum won, AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, Dish Network, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and a