BROWSING: FCC

WASHINGTON-Rather than voting publicly on the pending public-safety allocation item announced on the sunshine agenda, Federal Communications Commissioners last Thursday chose to spend their last open meeting together patting each other on the back, burying the hatchet and putting aside any rumors that contention...

WASHINGTON-President Clinton's four picks for the Federal Communications Commission won approval by the Senate Commerce Committee last week, and there were new indications that the nomination of William Kennard for FCC chairman will not be blocked by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) or others.With this...

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-CommNet Cellular Inc. announced that its shareholders last week voted to approve the merger of AV Acquisition Corp., an affiliate of Blackstone CCI Capital Partners L.P., with and into CommNet.The merger is expected to be consummated shortly after all conditions have been satisfied,...

Despite the fact most private-radio attention is aimed at certain 800 MHz and 900 MHz operations and the industrial radio arena, 220 MHz to 222 MHz service is up and running, and its expansion channels soon will be up for auction.And it is that...

WASHINGTON - In a surprise move, National Telecom PCS Inc., which lost its C-block American Samoa personal communications services license last year due to default but which has been fighting for it ever since, has proposed to take over all assets and debt of...

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court here last week refused to block the 800 MHz specialized mobile radio auction scheduled for later this month, but the legal challenge against new Federal Communications Commission licensing rules will proceed.SMR WON, a coalition of 60 small- and medium-sized SMRs,...

The Federal Communications Commission denied Southern California SMR entrepreneur James Kay Jr.'s appeal to disqualify Administrative Law Judge Richard Sippel from presiding over an evidentiary hearing Kay won the right to have earlier this year.Kay's attorneys filed a motion March 26 asking that the...

WASHINGTON-Though legislation to privatize the world's two multigovernment international satellite consortia is unlikely to move until next year, firms are moving ahead aggressively to lock in new mobile satellite service spectrum to position themselves for uncertain competition.Last week's hearing on a bill to restructure...

WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee members sternly advised Federal Communications Commission chairman nominee William Kennard to rethink agency positions on federal pre-emption and wireless universal service funding and to stop dragging its feet on little low-earth orbit satellite licensing.But despite sharp criticism of the FCC's handling...

The months-long debate at the Federal Communications Commission over C-block personal communications services debt restructuring, culminating in last month's factious decision to offer limited relief to floundering auction winners, saw the unprecedented clashing of conflicting legal doctrines and policy objectives and the tragic collapse...

RESTON, Va.-Constellation Communications Inc. filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to launch an additional 46 satellites to operate in the 2 GHz frequency bands.The satellites will allow for high-speed digital transmission services at rates up to 28.8 kilobits-per-second, Group 3 facsimile, Internet...

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry cautioned federal regulators against adopting a number portability implementation plan until key competitive issues are addressed.While the wireless industry is represented on the North American Numbering Council, there is concern that procedures for putting number portability in place are based solely...

WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined the wireless industry in fighting back White House and congressional budgeteer efforts to add spectrum fees and toll-free number auctions to balanced budget legislation last week, while the private wireless sector suffered a major setback when...

WASHINGTON-The June 23 adoption of the Second Report and Order regarding the Phase II rules governing the future of 800 MHz specialized mobile radio and related auctions by the Federal Communications Commission was received on two levels by the wireless industry. On one level,...

WASHINGTON-Comments submitted last week by NextWave Telecom Inc. to the Federal Communications Commission regarding proposed changes to the established C- and F-block personal communications services repayment plans smacks of a last-ditch effort to keep a sinking ship afloat.Couched in terms that could be interpreted...

Bad hair week for the Baby Bells and smut police. A near miss for wireless.The Justice Department last Wednesday recommended against Ameritech's foray into the Michigan long-distance market. So Joel Klein really does want Sen. Hollings' blessing after all.The next day, the FCC blocked...

Once the industry's dynamic duo of distribution, the relationship between paging carriers and paging resellers is no longer the love fest it once was.In paging's early days, resellers were the cheapest and most effective way to cultivate the market. Once the market grew to...

NEW YORK-The Federal Communications Commission granted four additional 38 GHz licenses to Winstar Communications Inc., covering Las Vegas, Honolulu, Mobile, Ala., and Denver.The company filed for the licenses before the FCC stopped accepting new applications for 38 GHz spectrum in late 1995. The company...

WASHINGTON-With industry consolidation increasing and prospects for greater facilities-based competition diminishing, new life has been breathed into the wireless resale debate.Most recently, San Francisco-based AirTouch Communications Inc. has come under fire for a new wireless resale program that critics call illegal, anti-consumer and anti-competitive.AirTouch's...

The PCS companies now proposing that the Federal Communications Commission change the rules to allow them to stay in business are proposing options that any creditor in the business world would not consider.You buy a new car. You can't pay for your new car,...

WASHINGTON-Motorola Inc. has revealed a plan to build, launch and operate a satellite-based video and data network aimed at going head-to-head with the Bill Gates/Craig McCaw-backed Teledesic Corp. Paperwork filed at the Federal Communications Commission June 13 asked permission to compete against Teledesic on...

WASHINGTON-Celpage Inc., a top paging company that dominates the Caribbean region, last week challenged the Federal Communications Commission's universal service ruling in federal appeals court here."The FCC erred in its decision to require paging companies to contribute to the universal service fund," said Luis...

WASHINGTON-After AT&T Corp. Chairman Robert Allen two weeks ago threw down the gauntlet regarding the viability of a $50 billion AT&T-Southwestern Bell merger, calling it "not unthinkable," Federal Communications Commission chairman Reed Hundt countered with the agency's point of view, telling attendees at a...

WASHINGTON-Public safety and other private wireless licensees have challenged the Federal Communications Commission's digital TV plan, saying it will cause interference to internal radio systems in Los Angeles and delay the availability of new spectrum for police, fire and emergency medical communications in the...