I know I’m the early bird with lots of news today. It’s because my favorite tax guy has already filed my extension so I can move on with life today and there seems to be a lot of broadband news.

Apparently the House Energy and Commerce telecommunications and the Internet subcommittee wants to know from the FCC and others why the recent 700 Mhz Spectrum Auction was so successful *except* for the segment saved for building a public safety network. The meeting to discuss the matter is planned for today (Tuesday April 15 at 9:30 to noon DC time and will be broadcast online.)

The plan was to use public airwaves and private money to create a nationwide emergency communications network. The winning vendor would build the network and make a profit by selling access to wireless service providers. However, the auction bidding didn’t meet the minimum bid requirements. Well, it sounds as if it didn’t get any bids.

There was one company (Frontline) who was expected to win this job but weeks before the bidding they dropped out, claiming they couldn’t raise the funds required, which was $1.33 billion.

I followed this story earlier on when a company called Cyren Call was the expected public safety net builder. They advocated for the use of public spectrum, but then they kind of disappeared except that the Chairman of Cyren Call became an adviser to the auction.

So now Congress wants to know – what in the heck is going on? And – what in the heck should they do now?