The Minority Media & Telecom Council said in an FCC filing that w...
The Minority Media & Telecom Council said in an FCC filing that while the designated entity (DE) set-aside in spectrum auctions isn’t a perfect mechanism, it mustn’t be scrapped. “Like most federal programs, the DE program is imperfect and…
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can be improved,” the group said in an ex parte filing at the FCC, in a docket exploring a wireless carrier proposal to eliminate such set-asides: “If a ‘compromise’ is to be struck, then, it should be for the Commission to continue the DE program in its present form, while at the same time taking note of legitimate criticisms… raised by both its supporters and opponents.” CTIA and T-Mobile met with Comr. Adelstein last week to lobby him to back an end to set-asides. T- Mobile argued: “An analysis of the top auction winners demonstrates that the DEs overwhelmingly either are in financial distress or have sold their licenses.” T-Mobile said at a minimum the licenses returned by NextWave should be sold without set-asides. “FCC has fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the NextWave licenses are open to all bidders to maximize the benefit to U.S. taxpayers,” T-Mobile said. CouncilTree, a leading DE, met with Chmn. Powell last week to urge the FCC to “stay the course” on the auction. “Any further weakening of the DE rules/closed licenses denies broadband PCS entry opportunities for: small businesses; new entrants; minority and women-owned businesses.”