FCC to Revise DE Rule Changes

FCC TO REVISE DE RULE CHANGES
[SOURCE: RCRWireless News, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Silva]
The Federal Communications Commission is expected to issue a new ruling addressing controversial changes to small business bidding rules ahead of the scheduled Aug. 9 start of the advanced wireless services auction, according to sources. A move by the FCC is likely this week as the agency can reconsider its own decision within 30 days of its publication in the Federal Register. The DE ruling, published May 4 in the Federal Register, is set to become effective June 5. The FCC is under mounting pressure to rescind revisions to small business—or designated entity—bidding guidelines approved by the agency on April 25, two weeks before the original short-form application filing deadline. In that decision, the agency declined against prohibiting large wireless carriers from partnering with DEs as it originally proposed. DEs are eligible for bidding discounts up to 25 percent and other benefits. Instead, the FCC extended restrictions on DE license sales from five to 10 years and made the new rule retroactive. The commission also decided to deny benefits to any DE that leases, resells or wholesales more than 50 percent of its spectrum capacity to others.
http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=26497