FCC Announces Auction 102 Winning Bidders

The FCC announced the winning bidders in the auction of 24 GHz Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service licenses (Auction 102).  The auction raised a total of $2,022,676,752 in net bids ($2,024,268,941 in gross bids), with 29 bidders winning a total of 2,904 licenses.  The FCC also specified the deadlines for payments and the filing of long-form applications, and other post-auction procedures.  In the next few days, each qualified bidder will receive a package that provides instructions on how to make payments with respect to winning bids, and an envelope for the return of RSA SecurID® tokens used in Auction 102 bidding.  By 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on June 17, 2019, each winning bidder in Auction 102 must have on deposit with the FCC enough funds to cover the down payment on its winning bid(s).  Specifically, each winning bidder’s total amount on deposit must be 20% of the aggregate net amount of its winning bid(s). Any winning bidder whose upfront payment is not sufficient to meet this requirement must deposit additional funds to meet its required down payment.  All down payments must be made by wire transfer as instructed in this Public Notice and must be received in the Commission’s account at the U.S. Treasury before 6:00 p.m. ET on June 17, 2019.  Final payments are due before 6:00 p.m. ET on July 1 2019. 

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 The Regulatory Mix Today:  FCC Announces Auction 102 Winning Bidders, Senators Reintroduce STREAMLINE Act

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Senators Reintroduce STREAMLINE Act

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the Streamlining the Rapid Evolution And Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance Small Cell Deployment Act or STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. The legislation updates the Communications Act to better reflect developing technology and facilitate the rapid deployment of 5G networks. 

Among other things, the Act contains processes and  timeframe guidelines specific to small cell applications for state and local consideration:

• Permits must be approved or denied on publicly available criteria that are reasonable, objective, and non-discriminatory.
• Small cell applications may be denied or regulated for objective and reasonable structural engineering standards, safety requirements or aesthetic or concealment requirements.
• Applications must be acted on no later than 60 days for requests to collocate equipment and 90 days for other requests.
• Flexibility and additional time is allowed for small municipalities (fewer than 50,000 residents).
• Empowers the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant flexibility by issuing a one-time 30-day waiver of the timeframes required for action upon a request by a state or local government.

It also addresses state and local fees for processing applications, requiring that fees be  publicly disclosed, competitively neutral, technology neutral, nondiscriminatory and based on actual and direct costs (including, for example, costs for maintenance and inspections).

“Making 5G technology a reality has been a priority for me since I began serving on the Commerce Committee,” said Thune. “The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act will provide the necessary updates to the Communications Act to put the United States in a position to win the race to 5G, something that could potentially accelerate economic growth and provide new opportunities for businesses and communities throughout the country.”

“Developing and deploying the next generation of wireless technology will provide more Americans with access to the internet while giving us the chance to continue our global leadership and create millions of new jobs,” said Schatz. “This bill will advance the discussion on how to best update our national 5G infrastructure. I look forward to a robust debate as we move through the legislative process.”

In response to the bill’s reintroduction, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr issued a statement saying: “I commend Senator Thune and Senator Schatz for their leadership on smart infrastructure policies. Their bill demonstrates bipartisan support for fee limits, timelines, and other reforms that are key to accelerating the buildout of 5G infrastructure in communities across the country. If passed, their work to modernize our country’s approach to small cells would notch another solid win for the U.S. in the race to 5G."

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.