Update as of 5:10 p.m. on Friday, February 1, 2008: after 25 rounds of bidding, the FCC’s 700MHz auction has pulled in just over $18 billion.

 

Earlier in the day, after 24 rounds of bidding, RCR Wireless News noted that the bidding had slowed, with only 1.8 billion coming in during the first three rounds Friday morning (compared with $4 billion for all round on Thursday).

 

The eight C Block licenses did not receive any new bids, RCR Wireless noted, which means bidding on this block may be done. (If so, will Google emerge as not only the white night that rescued open access but also as the owner of the spectrum?)

 

How do you see the rest of the auction playing out?