FCC WIRELESS BUREAU DELAYS 700 MHZ AUCTION UNTIL SEPT.
Heeding requests of some wireless carriers, FCC’s Wireless Bureau Wed. pushed back start date of 700 MHz auction to Sept. 12 from March 6. “Under the current circumstances, the bureau believes that a brief delay is warranted to provide additional time for bidder preparation and planning and for reasons of auction administration,” it said. Agency had been working against Feb. 2 filing deadline for bidders to file short-form applications to participate in 700 MHz auction.
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Rural Telecommunications Group and broadcasters such as Paxson had urged FCC to not delay bidding of licenses in 747-762 and 777-792 MHz bands again, saying postponement would mark 4th time auction had been moved. Verizon Wireless, in request that was joined by CTIA, had sought delay, contending prospective bidders needed more time to assess their interest in acquiring more spectrum, especially because C-block auction that began Dec. 12 wasn’t completed until last Fri. Wireless carriers also said this auction marked first time FCC was using combinatorial bidding and that additional time was needed to address issues involving analog broadcasters in Ch. 60-69 spectrum. Commenters supporting postponement included Cingular Wireless, while others, such as Equity Bcstg., balked at any additional time, FCC said.
Comr. Furchtgott-Roth reiterated his opposition to moving auction date again, saying it was 4th time he had objected. He said Congress had required proceeds from bidding to be deposited in U.S. Treasury by Sept. 30, 2000. Last year, Senate Budget Chmn. Domenici [R-N.M.] had supported delay in depositing funds because budget deficit no longer was factor). “As I noted last May, there was no legal or logistical basis for delaying the auction in the first place,” Furchtgott-Roth said. “Each delay only brings the agency further out of compliance with the law.” Each postponement “points out significant auction shortcomings: Noncompliance with the law, poor auction schedule management, and the repeated disruption of public expectations,” he said.
Comr. Tristani, who joined Furchtgott-Roth last summer in opposing previous delay from Sept. 6 until March 6, this time said she didn’t object, saying circumstances had changed. “Policy matters, no matter how worthy, should not overcome our obligation to follow the law,” she said. “At this point, the scheduling problems before us are of a different nature and largely of this agency’s own making,” Tristani said. As example, she cited back- to-back timing of PCS auction and 700 MHz auction, which carry “quiet” periods that don’t allow bidders to engage in certain kinds of discussions. “The challenges posed by the early auction of 700 MHz spectrum need not be burdened further by unfortunate administrative miscalculations,” she said.
“We need to take a quick breath before plunging into the next round of spectrum bidding so that carriers can assess their spectrum needs and develop bidding strategies,” CTIA Pres. Thomas Wheeler said. New filing deadline for short forms is Aug. 17, with other deadlines to be announced later.