The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ (UCC) ...
The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ (UCC) opposed a recent request to the FCC by WorldCom for a ruling that SkyTel and its other wireless affiliates could participate in May 13 spectrum auctions. At issue…
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is whether SkyTel qualifies to compete in a paging band auction amid questions over the default status of 2 Multipoint Distribution Service licenses held by Wireless One, which is another WorldCom affiliate. FCC rules say that bidders are eligible to take part in an auction only if they have satisfied outstanding installment payment defaults. WorldCom sought a ruling that its wireless subsidiaries were in compliance with the auction eligibility rules or a waiver of those rules. UCC told the FCC Fri. that WorldCom “committed massive fraud resulting in the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. It would be simply unfair to allow WorldCom, a company known to operate fraudulently, to participate in future FCC auctions without fully complying with the FCC’s auction eligibility rules. To do so would eviscerate the purpose of the FCC’s auction eligibility rules, which in part are to deter speculation and insincere bidding as well as to ensure that a particular authorization goes to the auction participant that values the authorization most.”