Auction 41: Narrowband PCS

NW Channel 18: (940.65-940.75 MHz)
NW Channel 19: (901.3-901.35, 930.5-930.55 MHz)
NW Channel 20: (901.9-901.95, 930.75-930.8 MHz)
NW Channel 21: (901.5-901.55, 930-930.15 MHz)
NW Channel 22: (901.6-901.65, 930.15-930.3 MHz)
NW Channel 23: (901.45-901.5, 940.55-940.65 MHz)
NW Channel 24: (901.55-901.6, 940.3-940.4 MHz)
NW Channel 25: (901.85-901.9, 940.45-940.55 MHz)
MTA Channel 26: (901.35-901.4 MHz)
MTA Channel 27: (901.4-901.45 MHz)
MTA Channel 28: (940.4-940.45 MHz)
MTA Channel 29: (901.95-902.0, 930.8-930.85 MHz)
MTA Channel 30: (901.65-901.7, 930.3-930.4 MHz)
MTA Channel 31: (901.7-901.75, 930.85-931 MHz)
MTA Channel 32: (901.8375-901.85, 940.9-941 MHz)

Bandwidth:

See table below. Total bandwidth: 1.8625 MHz (1862.5 kHz)

Winning Bidders:

5 bidders won 317 licenses

Rounds:

Qualified Bidders:

Licenses Won:

317

Licenses Held by FCC:

Total Licenses:

365

Net Bids:

$8,285,036

Gross Bids:

$11,013,915

Narrowband PCS channels 29, 31, and 32 in MTA002 (Los Angeles-San Diego) will be available subject to protection of incumbent licenses held by Paging Systems, Inc. under call signs WPOI469, WPOI470, WPOI471, and WPOI472. See In the Matter of License Communications Services, Inc. et al., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 12 FCC Rcd 16,436 (1998).

The Narrowband PCS Auction is scheduled to begin October 3, 2001. General information and associated licensing parameters are provided below. Specific information regarding this auction will be announced by public notice.

Key Dates
Licenses Offered
Bandwidth
Permissible Operations
License Period
Tribal Land Bidding Credits
Bidding Credits
Incumbents
Licensing Rules

Key Dates

Event	Date
Pre-Auction Seminar	8/15/2001
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline	8/24/2001; 6:00 pm ET
Upfront Payments Deadline	9/13/2001; 6:00 pm ET
Mock Auction	9/28/2001
Auction Start	10/3/2001
Auction Closed	10/16/2001

Licenses Offered

The Commission has previously conducted two auctions for narrowband PCS licenses. As a result of these two auctions, ten nationwide narrowband PCS licenses and six regional narrowband PCS licenses in five different regions (totaling 30 regional licenses) have been granted. The remaining channels currently allocated to be licensed as narrowband PCS are found in the 901-902, 930-931, and 940-941 MHz bands.

Auction No. 41 will offer 365 Personal Communications Service (PCS) licenses in the 900 MHz band ("narrowband PCS"). Eight licenses will be offered on a nationwide basis and seven licenses will be offered in each of 51 Major Trading Areas (MTAs), for a total of 357 MTA licenses.

Bandwidth

Permissible Operations

The Commission broadly defines PCS as mobile and fixed communications offerings that serve individuals and businesses, and can be integrated with a variety of competing networks.

License Period

CMRS licenses will be issued for a ten-year term from the initial license grant date.

Nationwide licensees are required to construct base stations that provide coverage to a composite area of 750,000 square kilometers or serve 37.5 percent of the U.S. population within five years of initial license grant; and, construct base stations that provide coverage to a composite area of 1,500,000 square kilometers or serve 75 percent of the U.S. population within ten years of initial license grant.

MTA licensees are required to provide coverage to a composite area of 75,000 square kilometers or 25 percent of the geographic area, or serve 37.5 percent of the population of the service area within five years of the initial license grant; and, construct base stations that provide coverage to a composite area of 150,000 square kilometers or 50 percent of the geographic area, or serve 75 percent of the population of the service area within ten years of the initial license grant.

In the alternative, nationwide or MTA licensees may provide substantial service to the licensed area within ten years of license grant.

Tribal Land Bidding Credits

A winning bidder that intends 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 is eligible to receive a tribal land bidding credit as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2107 and 1.2110(f). 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(f).

Additional information on the tribal land bidding credit, including how the amount of the credit is calculated, can be found on the Tribal Land Bidding Credits page.

Bidding Credits

Bidding credits are available to small businesses or consortia thereof, (as defined in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2110(c) and 22.217(a)). 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 annual gross revenues for the preceding three years of the bidder, its affiliates, its controlling interests, and the affiliates of its controlling interests:

A bidder with attributed average annual gross revenues of more than $3 million but not more than $15 million for the preceding three years receives a 25 percent discount on its winning bids for paging licenses;
A bidder with attributed average annual gross revenues of not more than $3 million for the preceding three years receives a 35 percent discount on its winning bids for paging licenses.

Bidding credits are not cumulative. A qualifying applicant receives either the 25 percent or the 35 percent bidding credit, but not both.

Incumbents

There is one incumbent licensee already licensed and operating on channels 29, 31, and 32 in MTA002 (Los Angeles –San Diego). Individuals winning licenses for these channels must protect the incumbent from harmful interference and therefore this may restrict their ability to use the above-referenced channels in portions of MTA002.

Licensing Rules

No spectrum or channel aggregation cap
No eligibility restrictions
Partitioning and/or disaggregation permitted at any time
Part 1 unjust enrichment provisions apply

Releases P

10/18/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-2429)
Narrowband PCS Spectrum Auction Closes
This Public Notice provides detailed information concerning the completion of Auction No. 41.

9/20/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-2201)
Auction of Licenses for Narrowband PCS
This Public Notice identifies 9 applicants found to be qualified to bid in the Narrowband PCS spectrum auction (Auction No. 41). Auction No. 41 is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 3, 2001.

9/4/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-2052)
Auction of Licenses for Narrowband PCS: Status of FCC Form 175 Applications to Participate in the Auction
Auction of Licenses for Narrowband PCS: Status of FCC Form 175 Applications to Participate in the Auction. This Public Notice classifies the participants for Auction No. 41 into the following categories: 7 applicants Accepted for Filing, 3 applicants Incomplete.

9/4/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-2201)
Auction of Licenses for Narrowband PCS: Status of FCC Form 175 Applications to Participate in the Auction
This public notice classifies the participants for Auction No. 41 into the following categories: 7 applicants Accepted for Filing, 3 applicants Incomplete.

8/1/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-1843)
Narrowband PCS Spectrum Auction Scheduled for October 3, 2001
This Public Notice announces a pre-auction seminar. Interested parties must pre-register for seminar using the attached form.

7/9/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-1592)
Narrowband PCS Spectrum Auction Scheduled for October 3, 2001 - Notice and Filing Requirements, Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments and Other Procedural Issues
This Public Notice announces the procedures and minimum opening bids for the upcoming auction of Personal Communications Services (PCS) licenses in the 900 MHz band (Narrowband PCS), scheduled for October 3, 2001 (Auction No. 41).

6/21/2001
ERRATUM to PUBLIC NOTICE
Correction to Attachment A: Narrowband PCS Spectrum Auction Scheduled for October 3, 2001; Revised Upfront Payments, Bidding Unit Amounts, and Minimum Opening Bids for Nationwide Licenses and Licenses in MTA 017
This Public Notice corrects bidding unit amounts and minimum opening bids for Nationwide licenses and licenses in MTA 017.
pdf - text - Word

6/12/2001
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-1400)
Narrowband PCS Spectrum Auction Scheduled for October 3, 2001; Comment Sought on Reserve Prices or Minimum Opening Bids and Other Auction Procedural Issues
This Public Notice announces the auction of 365 PCS licenses in the 900 MHz band set to begin on October 3, 2001.

Releases L

10/31/2006
LETTER (DA 06-2173)
Final Bid Withdrawal Payment for Auction No. 41, Space Data Spectrum Holding, Inc.

9/20/2001
LETTER (DA 01-2202)
Letter to Frederick M. Joyce, Esq. & Christine McLaughlin, Esq.
This letter denies Codecom, Inc.'s request seeking waiver of the upfront payment deadline of September 13, 2001, 6:00 p.m. (ET) for Auction 41.

Releases O

5/29/2001
ERRATUM TO ORDER
Erratum - Personal Communications Services, Narrowband PCS
Corrected Third Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration in this proceeding released 05/29/2001.
pdf - text - Word

5/3/2001
ORDER
Third Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration
This Order adopts further modifications to the existing Narrowband Personal Communications Services (PCS) rules, in three major respects.
pdf - text - Word

6/26/2000
ORDER (DA 00-1421)
Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Establish New Personal Communications Services, Narrowband PCS
In this document the WTB extends the comment and reply comments in the Second Report and Order Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making released May 18, 2000.

5/18/2000
SECOND REPORT AND ORDER AND SECOND FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (FCC 00-159)
In the Matter of Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Establish New Personal Communications Services, Narrowband PCS
This Order adopts modifications to existing Narrowband PCS rules.

4/23/2000
REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 97-140)
Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
This report establishes competitive bidding rules for awarding the remaining authorizations for Narrowband Personal Communications Services (PCS). Furthermore, we decline to provide special relief for those affected by the Canadian Interim Sharing Arrangement. The Further Notice seeks comment on a number of proposals relating to licensing and auctions issues.

4/23/1997
REPORT AND ORDER AND FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (FCC 97-140)
In the Matter of Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Establish New Personal Communications Services, Narrowband PCS
This Order establishes competitive bidding rules for awarding the remaining authorizations for Narrowband Personal Communications Services (PCS) and decline to provide special relief for those affected by the Canadian Interim Sharing Arrangement. The Further Notice seeks comment on a number of proposals relating to licensing and auctions issues