HOW TO WATCH THE AUCTIONS VIA INTERNET The FCC's Broadband PCS license auction is accessible through the Internet. You can check on round results and also read any material released by the Commission about this auction -- or other issues. This fact sheet will give you the information you need to track the auction that begins on December 5 from your computer. In order to access the FCC ftp server, you will need to have access to the Internet and an ftp client software. The following are instructions for the command line version of ftp. Graphical ftp interfaces may slightly differ; please check with your local computer specialist. 1 Connect to the FCC ftp server, usually ftp fcc.gov 2 At the user name prompt, type anonymous 3 At the password prompt, type your Internet e-mail id 4 Type binary so you can download .DBF files 5 Change your current directory to the MTA directory by typing: cd/pub/PCS_Auctions/Broadband/MTA 6 Use "get" to download files from the FCC ftp server. For example, to get all bid submissions for round 10 in .DBF format, type: get 4_010S.DBF. 7 To exit, type bye If you do not have direct access to the Internet, you can access the files through a service such as America On-line or Delphi. The files will be presented on the FCC.GOV ftp Internet server. Go to this location and look for the following files: For each round four dBase compatible databases files (for use in paradox, dBase, Microsoft Excel, etc.) will be uploaded with the following name convention: FILE FORMATS For each round, four dBase-compatible database files will be uploaded with the following naming convention: 4_xxxS.DBF [all bid submissions for a particular round] 4_xxxW.DBF [contains all bid withdrawals for a particular round] 4_xxxM.DBF [contains bid increments for the next round] 4_xxxE.DBF [contains the maximum eligibility and remaining number of waivers] where xxx represents the round numbers In addition, the database files contain the current high bids for each market. For those that cannot use the dBase-compatible database files, we will also upload the ASCII text version of these files with the following name convention: 4_xxxS.TXT [all bid submissions for a particular round] 4_xxxW.TXT [all bid withdrawals] 4_xxxM.TXT [bid increments for the next round] 4_xxxE.TXT [maximum eligibility and remaining number of waivers] 4_xxxH.TXT [the current high bids for each market] where xxx represents the round numbers. _____________________________________________________________________________ You may also access auction information through an FCC Bulletin Board System (BBS). To do this, you need a PC, a standard Hayes compatible modem and a communications program, like pcANYWHERE, TELEX, PROCOMM, etc. Next, dial 202/682-5851, use the settings of No parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit (N,8,1). NEW USERS (follow steps 1-7, otherwise, go to step 8) 1 Type New, then [ENTER]. If the work ANSI is blinking, type Y for Yes. If the word ANSI is not blinking, type N for No. 2 Type in your first and last name and press [ENTER]. This will be you log in name. 3 Type in your telephone number and press [ENTER] 4 Type in your fax number and press [ENTER] 5 Type in what you want your password to be and press [ENTER] 6 Retype your password for verification, and press [ENTER] 7 You will get a new mail message welcoming you to the BBS. You choose whether to read it or not. Once account is generated 8 Type R for auction round results, and press [ENTER] 9 Type the letter representing the file that you want to download, and press [ENTER] 10 Press D for download and press [ENTER] 11 Type the letter representing the transfer protocol you want to use, and press [ENTER]. How the file is downloaded and where it gets downloaded depends on the package being used. 12 When the file is done being downloaded, press r for redraw, and press [ENTER] 13 Repeat steps 10 through 13 to download another file, or press x and [ENTER] to exit the screen. To EXIT 14 Press X to exit and press [ENTER], and answer Y for Yes when asked to verify your leaving.