Fact Sheet

Date:

Auction 36 began on 11/1/2000 and closed on 12/5/2000.

Round 151. (See PN DA 00-2752)
Licenses:
Sixteen non-contiguous 5 channel blocks in 175 Economic Areas (EAs)
See The Economic Areas (EAs) Map 
Spectrum

856.0125-860.6875 MHz
811.0125-815.6875 MHz

Bandwidth:
Refer to the Channel Band Plan table below and the SMR 800 MHz Bandplan
Winning Bidders:
22 bidders won 2,800 licenses
Rounds:
151
Qualified Bidders
28
Licenses Won:
2800
Total Licenses:
2800
Net Bids
$28,978,385
Gross Bids:
$29,499,300

 
 
 
General information and associated licensing parameters are provided below. Public Notices provide specific information regarding this auction. This fact sheet includes:

Key Dates

 

Event Date
Pre-Auction Seminar
9/18/2000
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline
9/29/2000; 6:00 pm ET
Upfront Payments Deadline
10/16/2000; 6:00 pm ET
Mock Auction
10/30/2000
Auction Start
11/1/2000
Auction Closed
12/5/2000
 

Licenses Offered

A total of 2,800 licenses were offered in this auction. Sixteen non-contiguous 5-channel blocks (0.25 MHz bandwidth) in each of 172 EAs and 3 EA like areas, covering the U.S. territories in the Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Each channel encompasses a base frequency and a mobile frequency which are 45 MHz separated. (See 47 C.F.R. 90.613) Economic Areas (EAs) is the geographic method used to assign these licenses.

Channeling Plan

Channel Block Channel No. Base Station Frequencies (channel centers)   Channel Block Channel No. Base Station Frequencies (channel centers)
G 201,241,281, 321,361 856-860.0125   O 221,261,301, 341,381 856-860.5125
H 202,242,282, 322,362 856-860.0375   P 222,262,302, 342,382 856-860.5375
I 203,243,283, 323,363 856-860.0625   Q 223,263,303, 343,383 856-860.5625
J 204,244,284, 324,364 856-860.0875   R 224,264,304, 344,384 856-860.5875
K 205,245,285, 325,365 856-860.1125   S 225,265,305, 345,385 856-860.6125
L 206,246,286, 326,366 856-860.1375   T 226,266,306, 346,386 856-860.6375
M 207,247,287, 327,367 856-860.1625   U 227,267,307, 347,387 856-860.6625
N 208,248,288, 328,368 856-860.1875   V 228,268,308, 348,388 856-860.6875

Permissible Operations

800 MHz licensees may provide analog or digital services used for voice communications, paging, data and facsimile services. The SMR marketplace is allowing new acknowledgement paging and inventory tracking, credit card authorization, automatic vehicle location, fleet management, remote database access and voicemail.

License Period

Licenses are issued for a ten-year term from the initial license grant date. Licensees have a renewal expectancy based on the provision of substantial service and substantial compliance with applicable Commission rules, policies, and the Communications Act. (See 47 C.F.R. section 90.685).

Bidding Credits

Bidding credits are available to small and very small businesses (or consortia of small or very small businesses) as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 90.912. A bidding credit represents the amount by which a bidder's winning bids are discounted. The size of the bidding credit depends on the average gross revenues for the preceding three years of the bidder and its controlling interests and affiliates Bidding credits are not cumulative. A qualifying applicant receives either the 25 percent or 35 percent bidding credit, but not both.

Tribal Land Bidding Credit

A winning bidder that intendes to use its license(s) to deploy facilities and provide services to federally-recognized tribal lands that are unserved by any telecommunications carrier or that have a telephone service penetration rate equal to or below 70 percent was eligible to receive a tribal land bidding credit as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2107 and 1.2110(e). A tribal land bidding credit is in addition to, and separate from, any other bidding credit for which a winning bidder may qualify.
Unlike other bidding credits that are requested prior to the auction, a winning bidder applies for the tribal land bidding credit after winning the auction when it files its long-form application (FCC Form 601). In order for a winning bidder to be awarded a tribal land bidding credit, it must provide specific certifications regarding the servicing of tribal lands and is subject to specific performance criteria as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2110(e).
For additional information on the tribal land bidding credit, including how to determine the amount of credit available, see Public Notice DA 00-2219, released September 28, 2000, entitled Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces Availability of Bidding Credits for Providing Wireless Services to Qualifying Tribal Lands.

Incumbents

Incumbent licensees are present in the 800 MHz SMR band. Incumbent 800 SMR systems are entitled to co-channel protection by EA licensees, as well as adjacent channel interference protection. Incumbent systems, however, are not allowed to expand beyond existing service areas unless they obtain the EA license for the relevant channels.

Licensing Rules