Three days into the bidding in the FCC’s advanced wireless services auction, action appears strong so far, with all the major players maintaining their eligibility to bid. After Round 7 late Fri., bidding stood at almost $2 billion and was poised to surpass that amount in the next round. The big spectrum blocks -- D, E, and F -- were attracting significant attention. Many smaller licenses have yet to attract a single bid. The auction could take a month or more, and winners and losers won’t be known for several weeks.
Sprint Nextel indicated Thurs. a significant number of public safety licensees whose systems are being retuned in one of the latest 800 MHz rebanding rounds aren’t reaching agreements and aren’t seeking planning funds. Concern already was high at the FCC after questions surfaced this week at the Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials annual meeting about whether rebanding can be done in the 36 months the FCC has allowed (CD Aug p2).
ORLANDO -- Cyren Call founder Morgan O'Brien and M2Z CEO John Muleta agreed Wed. that their proposals to build wireless broadband networks don’t cancel each other out, especially since they would operate in different spectrum. But the 2 conceded they both face time pressures to get their plans up and running. O'Brien, co-founder of Nextel and Muleta, a former FCC Wireless Bureau chief, made a rare joint appearance at the Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials annual meeting.
ORLANDO -- Two years after the FCC released its massive 800 MHz rebanding order on the eve of the Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials 2004 meeting, concern is growing in the public safety community about whether the rebanding will be finished, in a way that protects public safety licensees, in the 36 months allowed. The rebanding officially got under way in June 2005.
ORLANDO -- An endorsement of a proposal to have the FCC dedicate 30 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum for use by public safety to create a broadband network -- rather than sell it at auction -- is getting strong consideration by the Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials, sources said Tues. The idea came from Nextel co-founder Morgan O'Brien, who met Mon. with the APCO board to outline it. O'Brien has been meeting with others at the conference here on the plan. The APCO board could act as early as this week.
ORLANDO -- Challenges to E-911 call centers and emergency communications are ever more complex, demanding more planning and cooperation, Gen. Richard Myers, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chmn., said Mon. at the annual Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials conference. Chmn. from after Sept. 11, 2001, through Katrina, retiring late in 2005, Myers said those two events showed many lessons remain to be learned.
Significant upfront payments made by cable companies and DBS operators in the advanced wireless services (AWS) auction that starts Wed. is likely good news for the FCC, which wants to see a strong auction, for competition in general, and for equipment suppliers who would get a new set of customers. But the potential bids by the deep-pocketed contenders means T-Mobile, which needs spectrum to stay competitive, must dig deeper into its coffers, sources agreed.
CTIA asked the FCC to make clear that carriers won’t have to make potentially significant retroactive payments to the USF because of confusion over the definition of “toll revenue” on a key reporting form. CTIA filed a petition for declaratory ruling at the agency, seeking guidance on questions tied to the agency’s latest USF contribution order, approved at the June agenda meeting (CD June 22 p1).
Wireless carriers and the FCC had a big loss in a battle with NASUCA and NARUC over truth in billing regulation, as a panel of the 11th U.S. Appeals Court, Atlanta unanimously threw out a March 2005 FCC truth in billing (TIB) order. The order said state rules requiring or barring line items on mobile carrier bills are rate regulation preempted by federal law.
DBS and cable came in with the largest upfront payments for the advanced wireless (AWS) services auction, which starts Aug. 9, based on documents released Fri. by the FCC, potentially setting them up to be dominant players in the biggest spectrum auction in years. T-Mobile, which needs spectrum to remain competitive, was top among wireless carriers. In a surprise to some, the auction will be open with bidder identities revealed after each round, after the FCC determined that auction passed its competitiveness test.