The part that's both sad and extremely enlightening is the ONLY reason it's competitive is the FCC blocking AT&Ts attempt to acquire T-Mobile. As a result they were forced to give up a ton of spectrum which T-Mobile used to become extremely competitive. Without that action, T-Mobile would still be the red-headed stepchild of the wireless industry.
The "lesson learned" should be that the FCC should force any bidder on an auction to use-it or lose-it on spectrum within 18 months. Additionally they should require companies to provide FACTUAL DATA on their spectrum shortages before even allowing them to participate in an auction. This spectrum hoarding was on the verge of destroying any competition in the US.