Nortel Buzzboard

The highly-anticipated U.S. 700 MHz spectrum auction finally begins today with much of the promise overshadowed by a frigid economic climate. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin remains optimistic, but concedes the timing may not be ideal.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless are expected to dominate. Google has deep pockets, but may not see the need to bid more than is required to ensure open access. Paul Allen, the cable giants, EchoStar and QUALCOMM are in. Sprint, T-Mobile and promising start-up Frontline Wireless are out.

Jeffrey Silva at RCRWirelessNews.com calls it March Madness, but with a twist. Since the auction will be ‘blind,’ it will be “like getting periodic scoring updates without knowing who actually won until a month or more from now.”

What will actually happen is anyone’s guess. Will there be surprises? Almost certainly. What we do know for sure is this - Hyperconnectivity is happening. It’s reality. The ways and means - and spectrum - are moving and changing, but the reality remains the same.

People and devices that can benefit from being connected to the network will be.

According to the Magic 8-Ball of PCWorld’s Dan Tynan, we can rely on the trend toward “cool connected devices you carry on your hip” (iPhone, Android, Kindle, etc.) continuing in 2008. (Personally, I prefer my pocket, but who am I to argue?)

The 700 MHz spectrum auction could go a long way toward determining how and when these and other devices get connected and what wonderful new things we’ll be able to do with them.