Smartcomm Among Winners of 700 MHz Licenses
Smartcomm was among several bidders that completed the process of acquiring a total of 16 licenses in the 700 MHz band last month, according to FCC documents. The parties had been the top bidders in a July 25, 2011, auction, designated Auction 92, which raised nearly $19.8 million. The auction was a re-auction of licenses whose winning bidder defaulted on payments after Auction 73.
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In a Dec. 20 notice (http://xrl.us/boas2o), the FCC said the license applications are complete and conform with FCC rules and that the commission has received full payment. As a result, it said it granted the licenses.
Smartcomm, through its bidding entity Big Wave Ventures LLC, acquired, according to FCC documents: (1) a license in Wheeling, W.Va., and nearby areas in Ohio with a winning bid of $427,000 (net $320,250). (2) Lubbock, Texas, for $1,915,000 (net $1,436,250). (3) The Virginia 1-Lee license for $143,000 (net $107,250).
Other winners included: Puerto Rico Telephone Co., six licenses, total of $9,565,000; CenturyTel Broadband Wireless LLC, three licenses, total of $3,626,000; USCC Auction 92 LLC, one license, $1,606,000; Allied Wireless Communications Corp., one license, $103,000; FTC Management Group, one license, $1,345,000; and David Miller, one license, $42,000 (net $31,500).
The three Smartcomm licenses cover a total population of 840,000, CEO Carole Downs said in a press release. The release said the rapid deployment of LTE “opens up many mobile broadband uses for this newly available bandwidth."
(Editor’s Note: Smartcomm has sued Warren Communications News for defamation, misappropriation of trade secrets, injurious falsehood and interference with business relations as a result of a story Communications Daily published [CD March 5/12 p3]. Warren has denied the charges.)