Holding a 700 MHz auction in Aug. or Sept. would put Cyren Call in a tough position on Capitol Hill, trying to find a legislative vehicle in a matter of a few months to which it could attach its proposal for a 30 MHz public safety broadband set-aside. DTV legislation approved by Congress in 2006 requires that the 700 MHz auction start by Jan. 28, 2008, but FCC Chmn. Martin said Wed. an auction could start as early as Aug. (CD Jan 18 p4).
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The FCC could start the 700 MHz auction as early as Aug., Chmn. Martin said Wed. That’s earlier than most potential bidders expected. Verizon and other major wireless carriers want an early start. Small carriers generally want one as late as possible. DTV legislation approved by Congress last year requires that the auction start by Jan. 28, 2008.
NTIA rules on its DTV converter box coupon program will appear within weeks, after OMB clearance, NTIA Dir. John Kneuer said Tues. in a meeting with reporters. The transition dominated Kneuer’s first media roundtable as director.
AT&T’s anticipated move of D.C. representation for its wireless and wireline operations into one office doesn’t mean it will march in lockstep with traditional Bell positions, sources said. AT&T announced Fri. the Cingular brand will start to disappear this week as it launches what is expected to be a massive rebranding campaign.
Wireless issues are expected to come to the fore at the FCC the next few months. Most early matters follow up on items in the works last year. Preparation for the 700 MHz auction, federal vs. state jurisdiction over early termination fees (ETF), and rules governing carrier protection of customer proprietary network information (CPNI) head most lists of issues likely to get attention soon.
SpectrumCo, a consortium of Sprint Nextel and the major cable operators, indicated in a filing at the FCC its strong interest in 700 MHz spectrum when that auction occurs later this year. In a paper, SpectrumCo said if the FCC wants a successful auction it should offer a wide variety of licenses, large and small. SpectrumCo, a top bidder in Auction 66 for advanced wireless services, likely needs more spectrum to offer a robust wireless product, sources said.
The FCC will allow public safety licensees negotiating 800 MHz rebanding agreements with Sprint Nextel to share basic information about the deals with other licensees - despite nondisclosure agreements that Sprint required licensees to sign prior to negotiations, the agency’s Public Safety Bureau said Mon.
Environmental and industry groups’ representatives are meeting to narrow differences on wireless towers and bird deaths. CTIA, PCIA, NAB, the American Bird Conservancy, the National Assn. of Tower Erectors, Environmental Defense and others asked the FCC to extend by 90 days the deadline for comments on possible rule changes. If the FCC agrees, comments would be due April 23, replies a month later.
MetroPCS cited a suit by designated entities as a risk factor in filing last week for an IPO at the SEC. The DEs want the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, to overturn the 2006 advanced wireless services auction. The regional carrier filed for a $1.1 billion IPO; it will use the money to enter markets in which it won AWS licenses, it said. The auction saw MetroPCS bid nearly $1.4 billion for 8 licenses, making it a surprise among the top bidders.
The FCC Fri. referred Sprint Nextel, Alltel, U.S. Cellular and Nextel Partners to the Enforcement Bureau for what could be stiff financial penalties for the carriers’ failure to comply with an E-911 Phase II mandate that 95% of subscribers have location-capable handsets by Dec. 31, 2005. The Commission warned Verizon Wireless, Leap, Qwest Wireless and Centennial to get their systems into full compliance, but didn’t refer them to the Enforcement Bureau, at least for now. All of the orders were highly “fact specific” taking each individual company’s progress and problems into account.