Auction 49: Lower 700 MHz Band

For a complete list of licenses available for for Auction No. 49, see Attachment A of Public Notice DA 03-567.

Bidding credits are available to small and very small businesses and entrepreneurs or consortia thereof, (as defined in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2110(f), 27.702. 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 not more than $40 million for the preceding three years ("small business") receives a 15 percent discount on its winning bids for the Lower 700 MHz band licenses
• A bidder with attributed average annual gross revenues of not more than $15 million for the preceding three years ("very small business") receives a 25 percent discount on its winning bids for the Lower MHz band licenses.
• A bidder with attributed average annual gross revenues of not more than $3 million for the preceding three years ("entrepreneur") receives a 35 percent discount on its winning bids for the MSA/RSA licenses in the Lower 700 MHz band. This definition applies only with respect to licenses in Block C (710-716 MHz and 740-746 MHz) as specified in 47 C.F.R. § 27.5(c)(1).

A bidder that qualifies as an entrepreneur may bid on EAG licenses in Block D, but will only receive a 25 percent bidding credit on any EAG license that it wins. Bidding credits are not cumulative; a qualifying applicant receives either the 15 percent, 25 percent or the 35 percent bidding credit on its winning bid, but only one credit per license.

Additional information on the tribal land bidding credit, including how the amount of the credit is calculated, can be found on the Commission's web site by going to Tribal Land Bidding Credits.

To aid potential bidders, the Bureau issued a Due Diligence Announcement ( (PN DA 03-845) listing incumbent licensees operating in these bands. The Commission makes no representations or guarantees that the matters listed in this Due Diligence Announcement are the only pending matters that could affect spectrum availability in these services.

1. Non-commercial educational broadcasters are not eligible to apply for initial licenses for new services in the Lower 700 MHz band.
2. Applicants may aggregate Lower 700 MHz band spectrum. See Reallocation and Service Rules for the 698-746 Spectrum MHz Band (Television Channels 52-59), GN Docket 01-74, Report and Order, 17 FCC Rcd 1022, at 1074 136, 17 FCC Rcd at 1076 142 (2002).
3. Incumbent licensees are present in the band.
4. Partitioning and/or disaggregation is permitted.