CTIA Wants FCC to Hold More Mock Auctions

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed holding at least one mock auction for both the forward and reverse auctions before it launches the real thing, but wireless companies want more mock auctions and plenty of data in time to make decisions. In a letter to Gary Epstein and Howard Symons, chair and vice chair respectively of the FCC's Incentive Auction Task Force, CTIA: The Wireless Association, said the FCC should hold multiple mock auctions in the lead-up to the March 29 launch of the auction to help participants get comfortable with the "first of its kind" auction.

CTIA wants the first mock auction (both forward and reverse) to be held by the end of January, then another a month later and a final mock auction within a week of the auction. They want to be able to test the software and get a gander at the types of data for forward auction participants, presumably wireless companies though anyone can bid. CTIA said multiple auctions could provide "all auction participants comfort with the functioning of the incentive auction software, the data being provided to bidders, and their ability to fully understand the data to make informed bidding decisions."