May 23, 1994
                                    
      FCC TO HOLD NARROWBAND PCS AND IVDS AUCTIONS JULY 24-29, 1994


     The FCC will hold its initial auctions for narrowband personal communication services
(PCS) and Interactive Video Data Service (IVDS) beginning July 24, 1994.  This will mark
the first time the Commission will use the auction procedures to license spectrum. 

     Narrowband PCS will include advanced voice paging, two-way acknowledgment
paging, data messaging, and both one-way and two-way messaging and facsimile.  It will be
licensed on a nationwide, Major Trading Area (MTA) and Basic Trading Area (BTA) basis. 
Only the ten available nationwide narrowband PCS licenses will be included in the July
auctions.

     IVDS is a new short distance communications service in which licensees may provide
information, products or services to individual subscribers located at fixed locations, and these
subscribers may provide responses.  Service offerings that have been contemplated for IVDS
include home banking, home shopping, and television viewer interaction in real time, to
educational and pay-per-view programming.  Approximately 600 IVDS licenses, all available
MSA markets, will be auctioned in July.

     Narrowband PCS will be auctioned first, with registration on July 24 and the auctions
on July 25, 26 and 27, with additional time available, if necessary.

     IVDS will be next, with registration beginning on July 27 and the auctions on July 28
and 29.

     The auctions will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.  Specific
Public Notices on each of these auctions will also be released today.

     Ultimately, the Commission will issue a total of approximately 3,500 narrowband PCS
licenses and approximately 1,400 IVDS licenses.

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     Short-form applications to participate in the auctions are due 3-4 weeks before the
auctions and will be available in the bidding packets that can be ordered by calling (202) 637-
FCC1(3221) or (202) 637-FCC2 (3222)(fax). 

     The Commission will hold an informational seminar to explain the auction procedures
on June 6, at the Kalorama Studios in Washington, D.C.  The morning session, beginning at 
9AM will cover narrowband PCS and the afternoon session, beginning at 2 PM, will cover
IVDS.   For reservations to attend this seminar, call (202) 637-FCC1 or (202) 637-FCC2(fax). 

     For more information on auctions in general, call the FCC's Auctions hotline at (202)
418-1400; hearing impaired customers can contact the hotline via Text Telephone at (202)
632-6999.  For information about either the narrowband or IVDS auctions, call (202) 637-
FCC1 or (202) 637-FCC2(fax).

 - FCC -


News Media contact: Rosemary Kimball and Susan Lewis Sallet at (202) 418-0500.
Auction contractor contact:  Tradewinds International Inc. at (202) 637-FCC1
     or (202) 637-FCC2.
Consumers and general auction hotline contact: Patti Grace Smith at (202) 632-0260.
Small Business contact: John Winston at (202) 632-1571.