NEWS                                              August 26, 1996

                FCC'S PCS D, E AND F BLOCK AUCTION BEGAN TODAY
                     Largest Auction Conducted by the FCC

     The Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Personal
Communications Services (PCS) auction for the D, E and F Blocks began
today at 10:00 AM E.S.T.  At the close of Round 1, bids totaled
$265,611,502 (net revenue total before withdrawal).  This auction offers
a total of 1,479 licenses, three in each BTA: 10 MHz spectrum in the D
block, 10 MHz in the E block and 10 MHz in the entrepreneurs' F block.

     One hundred fifty-three (153) bidders qualified to bid in the
largest auction the FCC has ever conducted, and upfront payments from
these bidders totaled $763,204,365.  A full 105 or 69%, of the 153
bidders claimed small business status.  Also, 114 of the bidders are
registered to participate in the entrepreneurs' F block.
 
     "With this auction we enter the third act in licensing spectrum for
Broadband PCS, nearly three years to the day after the FCC received
auction authority from Congress," said Chairman Reed Hundt. 
"Consumers are already enjoying the benefits of increased competition,
expanded choice and lower prices as a result of the rapid introduction
of this new service.  These auctions provide an opportunity for
businesses, and especially new entrants, to compete to serve
consumers."
  
     "This auction has been custom designed with these service
providers and the American public -- our customers -- in mind,"
commented Michele C. Farquhar, Chief of the FCC's Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau.  "Previous bidders asked us to speed the
auction's pace -- so we increased the activity levels for stages 1 and 2
and changed from a uniform bid increment to a market-by-market bid
increment," she added.

                                    - FCC -

News Media contact: Kara Palamaras at (202) 418-0654  
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contact: John Spencer at (202)
418-0660