T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless are poised to pick up chunks of spectrum that could prove valuable to their overall portfolios, based on bidding in the AWS auction, which is entering late stages, analysts and other observers said. To a lesser extent, so too are Cingular, Leap and MetroPCS, they said. In the auction’s late stages, bids totaled $13.8 billion late Fri.
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
Council Tree, Bethel Native Corp. and Minority Media & Telecom Council want the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, to toss out the AWS auction, they said in a pleading. Rules approved pre-auction effectively killed participation by them and other designated entities, they said. Among provisionally winning bids, only 4% have been by DEs’, they told the court.
The FCC likely will hand T-Mobile, other wireless carriers and airlines a victory over the Mass. Port Authority (Massport) on a Massport demand that Continental Airline yank a Wi-Fi antenna from its frequent flyer lounge at Boston- Logan International Airport. Sources involved in the fight said Wed. the order has big implications for Wi-Fi’s future. Continental wants to offer customers free Wi-Fi service, competing with Massport’s $7.95-a-day service (CD June 5 p4).
Nearly 18 months into his tenure, FCC Chmn. Martin clearly relies more on close advisors and less on bureau staff and others, insiders said. Officials were split on the extent to which Martin’s close control has precedent, and over its impact on the FCC. A spokeswoman for Martin, who became chmn. in March 2005, declined to comment.
FCC Chmn. Martin gives great weight to opinions from top advisers who, in the eyes of many, play more crucial a role in Commission work than predecessors in previous administrations. While others vie for the list, here, based on numerous interviews with former and current FCC officials, is Martin’s inner circle:
Regulated carriers can report subscribers transmitting apparent child porn without violating requirements that they protect customer proprietary network information (CPNI), the FCC said. Reports go to the CyberTipLine run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The FCC made the clarification in the order released late Wed. on its own initiative, it said.
State regulators wanting to participate in talks on the Missoula plan for reforming FCC intercarrier compensation rules are being asked to agree beforehand never to criticize the process followed to develop the plan and won’t speak ill of the plan as long as they're in discussions. Me. regulator Kurt Adams -- not companies behind Missoula -- proposed the rules. Vt. has agreed to abide by the rules.
A pattern of cancelled and never-scheduled meetings by FCC advisory panels has state regulators increasingly concerned, they said. The N. American Numbering Council (NANC)hasn’t met since Jan., with 3 meetings through Sept. cancelled by the Wireline Bureau. Panel members - whose mission is to explore numbering issues including area code exhaustion -- are asking why. FCC officials didn’t comment on the mostly empty 2006 NANC calendar.
The Wireless Bureau seeks comment on rules for a coming auction of 64 licenses in the 1392-1395 MHz and 1432-1435 MHz bands, set for 2007. Auction No. 69 is comparatively small, offering licenses useful in fixed or mobile services such as wireless Internet and advanced 2-way mobile and paging. One source said the spectrum is essentially “scraps.” The FCC, as in the AWS auction, sought comment on whether to follow the traditional simultaneous multiple-round (SMR) format. The FCC again is eyeing blind bids, with winners unknown the auction ends. “In particular, commenters should specifically address whether technological considerations or the likely level of competition in this auction weighs in favor of or against limiting the disclosure of information on bidder interests and identities relative to most past Commission spectrum auctions,” the bureau said. Comments due Sept. 11, replies 7 days later.
An Ohio state court will hear a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless, Dobson Cellular and other carriers, after the 6th U.S. Appeals Court, Cincinnati, rejected a federal court’s assertion of jurisdiction. The case -- which involves whether wireless carriers should be allowed to charge for calls that end in a busy signal -- has been in limbo for years. Four plaintiffs filed cases nearly 6 years ago.