Although the auction of 422 wireless licenses in the U.S. was intended to mostly benefit smaller companies, most of the winners were actually large companies and their partners.
The large players got around the rules reserving most of the licenses for entrepreneurial companies by placing their bids through small, partner companies, which sometimes were nearly completely owned by top wireless companies.
"The auction is now a contaminated process," said the president of one small company. Many of the small companies are now suing, and the actual dissemination of the licenses may be tied up in court for some time.
