A Bidder Aid Tool for Dynamic Package Creation in the FCC Spectrum Auctions

We propose a bidder aid tool that will allow bidders to more effectively participate in combinatorial FCC spectrum auctions by enabling concise expression of preferences. In addition to logical relationships between items, bidders may express spectrum-specific preferences such as those related to minimum population coverage, bandwidth, and budget. The tool can be used to simultaneously generate and valuate the optimal set biddable packages, both at the start of the auction and dynamically before each round. Preliminary testing suggests that the use of this tool may significantly simplify bidders’ efforts in generating packages of interest, and thus lead to more efficient auction outcomes.