June 9, 1994

                 FCC AUCTION SEMINAR ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS

     The Commission held an informational seminar on June 6 to
explain the auction procedures for narrowband personal
communication services (PCS) and Interactive Video Data Service
(IVDS).  Chairman Reed E. Hundt welcomed the potential bidders by
showing samples of potential consumer products. The day-long
event was attended by approximately 600 participants and
potential bidders. Tapes of the PCS and IVDS sessions are
available from Telespan International at (301) 731-5355.

     The FCC will hold its first auctions for ten nationwide
narrowband PCS and approximately 600 IVDS licenses, all
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), beginning July 24, 1994.  

     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.

     These auctions will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in
Washington, D.C.  

     In preparation for the IVDS oral outcry auctions, a mock
auction was held at the end of the June 6 seminar by Larry Latham
Auctioneers, Inc.  With potential bidders participating, Latham
auctioned off a $100 bill to the highest bidder for $101.  (All
proceeds went to charity and auction items were donated by
Latham.)

     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, regional, Major Trading Area (MTA) and Basic Trading
Area (BTA) basis. 





                                  (over)


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     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.  

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

     Short-form applications to participate in the July
narrowband PCS auctions are due July 1, 1994.  Short-form
applications to participate in the July IVDS auctions are due
June 27, 1994.  These applications are available in the Bidder's
Information Package that can be ordered by calling (202) 637-
FCC1(3221) or (202) 637-FCC2 (3222)(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: Audrey Spivack and Susan Lewis Sallet at
(202) 418-0500.
     Auction contractor hotline:  Tradewinds International Inc.
at (202) 637-FCC1 or (202) 637-FCC2 (fax).
     Consumers and general auction hotline contact: (202) 418-
1400.
     Videotapes of the narrowband PCS and IVDS seminars are
available from Telespan International at (301) 731-5355.

                                   -FCC-