Korean and European patent officials upheld CDMA patents held by Qualcomm, rejecting oppositions. Korean Intellectual Property Office upheld Qualcomm patent on control of transmitter power to overcome fading and reducing interference within telecom system to bolster network capacity. In separate proceeding, office also rejected opposition to Qualcomm patent that describes method for formatting data for transmission. Separately, European Patent Office confirmed patent that relates to processor used in CDMA receivers to normalize incoming blocks of data. Qualcomm disclosed decisions Tues., although European ruling was issued last month and Korean decisions earlier this month.

FCC’s C- and F-block auction continued to linger around $16.8 billion mark Tues., with Verizon Wireless remaining virtually unchanged in top slot with $8.8 billion in high bids. In sign that bidding for 422 PCS licenses continued to drag, as few as 9 new bids were made in one round Tues. afternoon. In last 10 rounds, bids have increased only $150 million. In all, auction has gone 85 rounds since starting Dec. 12. AT&T Wireless-backed Alaska Native Wireless had $2.9 billion in high bids, followed by Cingular Wireless-backed Salmon PCS with $2.3 billion, DCC PCS with $546.1 million, Cook Inlet with $499.2 million, VoiceStream PCS with $482.3 million and Leap Wireless International with $350 million. Licenses still drawing new bids are mostly smaller markets in southern and western parts of country. Separately, Leap Wireless said late Tues. it had reached agreement with Qualcomm, which will provide wireless carrier with $125 million in financing to support its bidding. Qualcomm is planning to transfer to Leap auction discount voucher it previously received from agency. Qualcomm stipulated it had no role in auction. Leap said it would repay Qualcomm for value of voucher in form of loan payable in single payment within 5 years. Qualcomm had received voucher from FCC as part of litigation settlement involving pioneer’s preference license.

U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., sided with U S West Tues. and remanded FCC order that had denied company’s request for forbearance of dominant carrier regulation for provision of high- capacity services in Phoenix and Seattle. Court ruled that FCC was inconsistent when it denied U S West’s petition for lack of reliable data on market share. To gain lessened regulation, U S West had to prove it faced competition for provision of high- capacity services in those 2 cities. In opinion written by Chief Judge Harry Edwards, court said FCC in past had relied on other measures such as elasticity to determine existence of competition and in one case made nondominance determination “in the absence of any market share data.” Court remanded case because FCC never specifically said market share was “essential” to prove competition, Edwards said. Court denied related petition by AT&T and WorldCom that questioned appropriateness of FCC’s telling U S West it still might qualify for pricing flexibility under separate process even though it lost forbearance request. AT&T and WorldCom argued that such language was backdoor way of giving U S West relief but Edwards called that argument “specious claim.” He said it was “clear that the forbearance order does nothing more than indicate that U S West is eligible to apply for relief under the pricing flexibility order.” However, court also denied suggestion by FCC counsel in oral argument that availability of pricing flexibility process lessened need for forbearance requests. Edwards said “U S West and other such petitioners are entitled to pursue forbearance under [Sec. 10 of Telecom Act] without regard to the pricing flexibility order.” Court panel also included Judges David Sentelle and Raymond Randolph.

Qualcomm subsidiary SnapTrack received wireless location and asset-tracking patent from U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Patent covers methods for remotely locating wireless device via client- server systems that use computer network or Web to initiate request on position of device. Device’s position is made known through data or graphic display, SnapTrack said.

Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf of WorldCom will keynote NAB convention in Las Vegas April 25, Assn. said. Speech will be on “The Future of Technology.”

Radio ad revenue grew 3% in Nov., and overall revenue for first 11 months of year was up 11%, Radio Ad Bureau said. For Nov., local ad revenue was up 4% and national ads were flat, it said.

Wireless Communications Assn. annual technical symposium that ended Fri. in San Jose drew record attendance of 1,185, up from 235 year ago. Next technical symposium is set for June 24-27 in Boston.

AssureSat will complete first round of funding by end of March and start construction of its first satellite (CD May 5 p5), spokesman said. Company is beginning to implement plans to provide first backup satellite capacity in space for satellite operators, manufacturers, suppliers. AssureSat has borrowed $300 million and is working with investors on equity plan to begin service, which will be alternative to launch insurance, spokesman confirmed. Company estimated startup costs for service at $500- $600 million. Investors include Credit Suisse Group, Space Vest, Swiss Reinsurance. Loral has contract to build 2 geostationary satellites. Design work is complete, spokesman said, and Loral has purchased parts for satellites that must be ordered in advance. Sea Launch will provide launch services. Clients will pay AssureSat premiums to use satellites in case of problems with their own for period of 4-30 months, spokesman said. Company said it has deal with Loral Skynet and plans to announce more contracts in coming months.

House Ways & Means Committee ranking Democrat Rangel (D-N.Y.) will soon introduce bill to provide tax credits for minority ownership of telecom and broadcast companies, but not until he has “bipartisan agreements” in place, spokesman told us. Spokesman said Rangel has “some disagreements” with Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.), who plans similar bill on Senate side, particularly about “scope” of program and “who would qualify.” However, he said “we're fairly optimistic” in what’s “good political environment,” adding that bill could be “good test of bipartisanship.” McCain spokeswoman said he’s “working on a bill” but “we don’t have details yet.” She added that McCain “is pleased that the House is also working on this issue.” Tax certificate program for minority ownership was repealed in 1995, but with recent Commerce Dept. report finding just 4% of TV stations owned by minorities there’s pressure for new program. Rangel spokesman said it’s important that program be done right this time, and that there be no repeat of earlier problems of large companies using minorities as front men to get discounts. “We want to make sure we close those loopholes,” he said. Former Ways & Means Committee Chmn. Archer (R-Tex.) was public opponent of tax certificates. Views of new Chmn. Thomas (R-Cal.) are unknown, although he voted for repeal in 1995.

New bill in Ore. House would make audio recordings of 911 emergency calls confidential information that couldn’t be disclosed without consent of person making call. Sponsor of HB- 2436, state Rep. Steve March (D-Portland), said treating 911 recordings as public records forces people to relive their tragedies when recordings of their emergency calls are replayed in TV and radio news broadcasts. Bill also would bar publishing verbatim written transcripts of 911 calls without consent.