In November 2003, the Federal Communications Commission created service rules for 90 megahertz of AWS spectrum at 1710-1755 and 2110-2155 MHz.

This required federal agencies, state and local governments, public safety agencies, pipeline companies, utility companies, transportation companies, industrial users, and some common carriers across the United States, its possessions and territories to vacate the frequencies and move elsewhere.

Once cleared of the former license holders, the new stake holders could step into the yellow blocks above.  In the auction held during September, 2006 step in they did.

Top 10 Highest AWS Bidders

• Bidders                 Net total of high bids
• T-Mobile                       $4.2 billion
• Verizon Wireless            $2.8 billion
• SpectrumCo                   $2.4 billion
• MetroPCS                     $1.4 billion
• Cingular                         $1.3 billion
• Cricket                          $710 million
• Denali Spectrum            $365 million
• Barat Wireless               $127 million
• AWS Wireless             $116 million
• Atlantic Wireless           $81 million

First at bat was Cricket in Oklahoma City. They launched with over fifty stores and almost a hundred cell sites in March of 2008. Cricket advertises their advanced triband equipment that takes advantage of the new band. More about that later.

The AWS spectrum, as seen by the yellow blocks in the diagram above, is actually two discontinuous areas. The 1710-1755 MHz and the 2110 - 2155 MHz bands make up the AWS spectrum. For T-Mobile 3G, mobile units will broadcast on the lower band and base stations will broadcast on the higher band. T-Mobile uses a WCDMA scheme in these bands. This is why when you see devices listed for T-Mobile's 3G service you see them listed as 1700/2100 MHz (AWS)  as the band rather than a single band. In Europe some 3G phones are listed as 2100 MHz WCDMA. These will not be compatible with the AWS system because they lack the 1700 MHz component and they work in a different part of the 2100 MHz band.

Cricket's Oklahoma City market entry was the first fruit of the 2006 radio spectrum auction.  Green banners seem to sprout on every street corner like weeds after a spring rain. The Advanced Wireless Services auction of August 2006 offered 1,122 licenses to the public in the 1710-1755 MHz and the 2110-2155 MHz bands. These frequencies are used and will be used for wireless voice and data, Internet browsing, and video content. This was a relatively quick turnover from auction to launch. Past auctions have had slower results in actual implementation of the use of the bands. That the spectrum had to be vacated prior to use makes this turn-around doubly amazing. Cricket is using a CDMA scheme on the 1700 MHz portion of the band. Their triband devices operate on CDMA 850 / CDMA 1700 / CDMA 1900. Previously they were limited to CDMA 850/CDMA1900 bands.

Devices that use Band IV with T-Mobile are the

• HTC Touch Pro 2

• Motorola CLIQ - Winter White/Titanium

• Nokia 3555b

• Nokia 6263

• Nokia N900 Mobile Computer

• Samsung Comeback Frost Silver Cherry/Pearl White/Plum

• Samsung Highlight Fire/Ice

• Samsung SGH-T919 Behold Espresso/Rose

• Samsung SGH-T639

• Samsung SGH-T659

• Samsung SGH-T819

• Sony Ericsson TM506 Scarlet/Emerald/Amber

• Samsung Memoir

• T- Mobile Sidekick LX™ Orchid/Carbon

• T-Mobile G1™ Black/White/Bronze

• T-Mobile webConnect™ USB Laptop Stick 

• T-Mobile myTouch™ 3G Black/Merlot/White

• T-Mobile Dash 3G

• T-Mobile Sidekick LX™ - Orchid/Carbon

Some of the above devices come in a variety of colors. Not all are currently offered by T-Mobile or ever were offered by T-Mobile. .

The Roll-Out

Cricket was first - the big interest in the AWS bands is from T-Mobile's stake in the licenses. They picked up a large number of tickets to operate in the auction and the AWS bands are where they are going to plant their 3G services.  They have rolled out this service in a number of markets and you'll need to go to their website and type 3G coverage map in the search bar to be taken to where you'll be able to see if it is available in any particular area. Despite not having landed licenses in all the major markets T-Mobile has managed to acquire rights to implement 3G services in markets where it was shut out in auction. For example, the Dallas area saw the available bandwidth go to Cingular, MetroPCS and SpectrumCo LLC yet this is one of the larger 3G implementations for T-Mobile.