WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission will delay the re-auction of C-and F-block licenses to give the wireless industry time to digest rules that allow large carriers to bid, said Ari Fitzgerald, legal adviser to FCC Chairman William Kennard.
The FCC said it has tentatively concluded it is in the public interest to allow large companies to bid for the personal communications services licenses, most of which once belonged to bankrupt NextWave Telecom Inc.
The re-auction originally was set for July 26, but this date will now slip since the comment cycle will not have been completed before short forms would be due. Comments on the proposed rules are due June 16 with replies June 26. The FCC will cut off all meetings with staff as of June 30. Rules could come out at any time after that.
It is unclear when the re-auction will be rescheduled. The auctions division of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will release a public notice announcing the new date, Fitzgerald said.
The FCC’s proposed rules would split the 30-megahertz C-block licenses into three 10-megahertz blocks and allow large companies the ability to bid on two of those blocks for the top 19 markets. Large companies would have the ability to bid on one block in markets with populations less than 2.5 million.
All carriers would have the opportunity to bid on previously unsold 15-megahertz C-block licenses.
The FCC is seeking comment on what to do with the 10-megahertz F-block licenses.
While the FCC made a variety of proposals-including upping the bidding credits for small companies-it is seeking comment on all of them. FCC Commissioner Michael Powell warned nothing has been carved in stone.
“I am not particularly impressed by labels attached to the specific proposals (i.e. those on which we `seek comment,’ `propose,’ or `tentatively conclude’) in this further notice because I think all options are on the table and I would not be predisposed to any particular outcome at this time,” said Powell.
Small companies generally were disappointed with the decision. In addition, Verizon Wireless complained that the FCC decided to keep the spectrum cap in place.
