Auction 1: Nationwide Narrowband (PCS)

Summary

July 25, 1994 - July 29, 1994
Rounds:
47
Bidding Days:
5
Qualified Bidders:
29
Winning Bidders:
6 bidders won 10 licenses (No designated entities)
Gross Bids:
$650,306,674
Net Bids:
$617,006,674
Reports Files
Top Licenses (by High Bid)
Activity and Revenue Graph
Maps & Band Plans
Narrowband PCS
General Information
For additional information, including buildout information, see Narrowband PCS.

Winning Bidders
8/2/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-4)
Announcing the High Bidders In the Auction Of Ten Nationwide Narrowband PCS Licenses, Winning Bids Total $617,006,674
The Commission completed its auction of ten nationwide narrowband personal communication services (PCS) licenses on Friday, July 29. The names of the high bidders and the licenses they bid on are listed below.
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Applications to Participate
7/15/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE
Applications to Participate as well as Releases and archives
WTB announces the status of applications received for the 10 Nationwide narrowband Personal Communication Service (PCS) Licenses to be auctioned beginning July 25, 1994 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

Qualified Bidders
7/14/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE
WTB announces the qualified bidders for the 10 nationwide narrowband Personal Communication Services (PCS) licenses

Procedures
Bidder Information Package
Nationwide Narrowband PCS Auction Bidder Information Package
pdf - pdf - pdf - pdf - pdf

Fact Sheet

Date:

Auction 1 began on 7/25/1994 and closed on 7/29/1994.
Round 47 (See PN PNWL 94-4)

 
 
Licenses:

10 nationwide licenses and 1 additional nationwide license (N9) awarded by pioneer's preference.

Spectrum:

901-902 MHz

930-931 MHz

940-941 MHz

Bandwidth:

Blocks N1 thru N5 - 100 kHz ea.(2 x 50 kHz) nationwide (total 500 kHz)

Blocks N6 thru N8 - 62.5 kHz ea.(50 kHz & 12.5 kHz) nationwide (total 187.5 kHz)

Blocks N9 thru N11 - 50 kHz ea. nationwide (total 150 kHz)

(Note: N9 was awarded via pioneer preference - $33,300,000.00)

Total Bandwidth: 0.7875 MHz (787.5 kHz)

Winning Bidders:
6 bidders won 10 licenses (No designated entities)
Rounds:
47
Qualified Bidders:
29
Licenses Won:
10
Total Licenses:
10
Net Bids:
$617,006,674
Gross Bids:
$650,306,674

 

General information and associated licensing parameters are provided below. Public Notices provide specific information regarding this auction. This fact sheet includes:

Key Dates

EventDate
Pre-Auction Seminar
7/24/1994
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline
7/1/1994; 5:30 pm ET
Upfront Payments Deadline
7/11/1994; 3:00 pm ET
Auction Start
7/25/1994
Auction Closed
7/29/1994

Licenses Offered

The FCC auctioned ten nationwide licenses to provide Narrowband Personal Communications Services (Narrowband PCS) in the 900 MHz band and awarded another through the pioneer's preference program.

Channel BlockFrequencies
N-1940.00-940.05 MHz and 901.00-901.05 MHz
N-2940.05-940.10 MHz and 901.05-901.10 MHz
N-3940.10-940.15 MHz and 901.10-901.15 MHz
N-4940.15-940.20 MHz and 901.15-901.20 MHz
N-5**940.20-940.25 MHz and 901.20-901.25 MHz
N-6930.40-930.45 MHz and 901.7500-901.7625 MHz
N-7930.45-930.50 MHz and 901.7625-901.7750 MHz
N-8**930.50-930.55 MHz and 901.7750-901.7875 MHz
N-10940.80-940.85 MHz
N-11**940.85-940.90 MHz

** Businesses owned by women and/or minorities were eligible for a 25% bidding credit on these licenses. See Third Report and Order at 72-80

Permissible Operations

Narrowband PCS can be used to provide services such as voice message paging, two-way acknowledgement paging in which a subscriber can receive a message and transmit a response back to the sender, and other data services.
Winners of the nationwide Narrowband PCS licenses were authorized to provide service over all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

License Period

Licenses are issued for a ten-year term from the initial license grant date.

Bidding Credits

Businesses owned by women and minorities were entitled to a 25 percent bidding credit. Bidding credits were available on channels #N-5 (940.20-940.25MHz and 901.20-901.25 MHz), #N-8 (930.50-930.55MHz and 901.7750-901.7875 MHz), and #N-11 (940.85-940.90MHz).

Releases P

10/26/1995
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 95-2244)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Clarifies Spectrum Auction Anti-Collusion Rules
This Public Notice provides guidance regarding the Commission's anti-collusion rules, is meant to serve as a guideline for all auctions.

1/25/1995
PUBLIC NOTICE (REPORT 95-4)
Personal Communications Service Information Narrowband - Nationwide
This Public Notice grants two licenses to Paging Network of Virginia, Inc., on the condition that the remaining balance be paid within five business days.
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11/4/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (FCC 94-283)
Commission Announces That Mutually Exclusive "Short-Form" Applications (Form 175) To Participate In Competitive Bidding Process (Auctions) Are Treated As Exempt For Ex Parte Purpose.
In the Second Report and Order in PP Docket No. 93-253, 9 FCC Rcd 2348 (1994), recon. Second Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 94-215 (released August 15, 1994), the Commission adopted general rules to implement the authority conferred in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 to employ competitive bidding ("auction") procedures to choose among mutually exclusive applications for initial licenses.

10/21/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 94-1183)
Important Information Regarding the Auction Of Narrowband PCS Licenses; Canadian Interim Sharing Agreement
On September 22, 1994, representatives of the FCC and Industry Canada concluded a sharing arrangement for narrowband PCS.

8/17/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-9)
Narrowband PCS Nationwide Auction Winners.
The applications listed herein have been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing.
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8/11/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-6)
Commission Seeks Comment On FOIA Request Seeking Disclosure Of Unsuccessful Bidder Identities and Associated Bids In the Recent Nationwide Narrowband PCS Auction
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8/2/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-4)
Announcing the High Bidders In the Auction Of Ten Nationwide Narrowband PCS Licenses, Winning Bids Total $617,006,674
The Commission completed its auction of ten nationwide narrowband personal communication services (PCS) licenses on Friday, July 29. The names of the high bidders and the licenses they bid on are listed below.
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7/21/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-3)
Electronic Public Access Available For Nationwide Narrowband PCS Auction Results
Ten nationwide narrowband Personal Communication Service (PCS) licenses will be auctioned beginning July 25, 1994 at 10:00 A.M. eastern time.
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7/15/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE
Applications to Participate as well as Releases and archives
WTB announces the status of applications received for the 10 Nationwide narrowband Personal Communication Service (PCS) Licenses to be auctioned beginning July 25, 1994 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
 

7/14/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE
WTB announces the qualified bidders for the 10 nationwide narrowband Personal Communication Services (PCS) licenses.

7/1/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-13)
Narrowband PCS Fact Sheet
Information on the potential of narrowband PCS and the bidding process.
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6/17/1994
PUBLIC NOTICE (PNWL 94-1)
Answers To Questions From the June 6, 1994 FCC Bidders Seminar For the Auction Of Narrowband Personal Communications Services (PCS) Licenses and Interactive Video and Data Service Licenses
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Releases N

7/25/1994
News
FCC Opens First Ever Airwave Auction.
text

7/14/1994
News
MTEL Granted First Commercial Narrowband PCS License.
text

7/7/1994
News
FCC Receives 67 Bidder Applications For Nationwide Narrowband PCS Auction.
text

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