Auction 24: 220 MHz

225 licenses (9 EAG licenses and 216 EA licenses)
See maps of licenses offered:
Economic Area ("EA") map (pdf) and the
Economic Area Grouping ("EAG") map (pdf)

Spectrum:

220-222 MHz Band
Refer to the 220 MHz Bandplan (pdf) for further details.

Bandwidth:

1.55 MHz of spectrum

Winning Bidders:

16 bidders won 222 licenses

Rounds:

Qualified Bidders:

Licenses Won:

222

Licenses Held by FCC:

Total Licenses:

225

Net Bids:

$1,924,950

Gross Bids:

$2,537,100

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

Key Dates
Licenses Offered
Permissible Operations
License Period
Bidding Credits
Incumbents
Licensing Rules

Key Dates

Event	Date
Pre-Auction Seminar	4/21/1999
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline	5/10/1999; 5:30 pm ET
Upfront Payments Deadline	5/24/1999; 6:00 pm ET
Orders for Remote Bidding Software	50/25/1999; 5:30 pm ET
Mock Auction	6/4/1999
Auction Start	6/8/1999
Auction Closed	6/30/1999

Licenses Offered

This auction offered 216 licenses in 87 EAs and nine licenses in four EAGs designated for Phase II 220 MHz auction. These licenses received no bids in the original 220 MHz auction that closed on October 22, 1998, or were defaulted licenses. Therefore the number of licenses available in each EA varied from one to five, while the number of licenses available in each EAG varied from two to three. No nationwide licenses were available in this auction.

Permissible Operations

Frequencies in the 220 - 222 MHz band are available for land mobile and fixed use for both Government and non-Government operations. Permissible operations include:

One-way or two-way paging operations on a primary basis by all non-Government Phase II licensees
Fixed operations on a primary basis by all non-Government Phase II licensees and all Government licensees
One-way or two-way paging or fixed operations on a primary basis by all non-Government Phase I licensees. Rules governing these bands are found in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 90, Subpart T.

License Period

Licenses are issued for a ten-year term from the initial license grant date. At the end of the 10-year period, licensees are required to submit an acceptable showing to the commission demonstrating that they are providing "substantial service" to their service area

Bidding Credits

A bidding credit acts as a discount on the winning bid amount that a bidder actually has to pay for the license. The size of the bidding credit depends on the annual gross revenues of the bidder, together with its affiliates and controlling interests, as averaged over the preceding three years as defined in 47 C.F.R. § Section 90.1021(b):

A bidder with average gross revenues of not more than $15 million (a "small business") receives a 25 percent discount on its winning bids for the Phase II 220 MHz licenses.
A bidder with average gross revenues of not more than $3 million (a "very small business") receives a 35 percent discount on its winning bids for the Phase II 220 MHz licenses.

These bidding credits are not cumulative.

Incumbents

There were a number of incumbent Phase I 220 MHz licensees already licensed and operating on frequencies that were subject to auction. Such incumbents must be protected from harmful interference by Phase II 220 MHz licensees in accordance with the Commission's Rules. These limitations may restrict the ability of such geographic area licensees to use certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum or provide service to certain areas in their geographic license areas.

Licensing Rules

See service rules 47 C.F.R. Part 90 subpart T

Releases P

7/1/1999
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-1287)
Phase II 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction Closes; Winning Bidders in the Auction of 225 Licenses in the Phase II 220 MHz Service
This Public Notice announces the closing of Auction No. 24 (Phase II 220 MHz) , the winning bidders, and other detailed information concerning this auction.

5/27/1999
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-1023)
Phase II 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction (Auction No. 24);18 Qualified Bidders
This Public Notice identifies the 18 applicants that have been found qualified to bid for spectrum associated with 225 Phase II 220 MHz Service licenses in Auction No. 24, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 8, 1999. This Public Notice also contains bidding instructions and other important information regarding the auction.
Attachment A: pdf
Attachment B: pdf
Attachment C: pdf
Attachment D: text - Word
Attachment E: text - Word

5/13/1999
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-904)
Phase II 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction (Auction No. 24); Status of Applications to Participate in the Auction
This Public Notice announces the status of the 20 FCC Form 175 applications to participate in Auction No. 24.
pdf - text - Word
Attachment A: pdf
Attachment B: pdf
Attachment C & D: text - Word
Attachment E: text - Word
Attachment F: text - Word

4/16/1999
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-731)
Phase 11 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction (Auction No. 24); Bidder Information Seminar Change of Venue
This public notice changes the venue for the April 21, 1999, Bidder Information Seminar for the Phase II 220 MHz Auction (Auction No. 24).

3/29/1999
CORRECTION TO PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-474)
Correction to Public Notice DA 99-474, Phase II 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction, Notice and Filing Requirements for Auction of Phase II 220 MHz, Service Spectrum Scheduled for June 8, 1999, Minimum Opening Bids and Other Procedural Issues
This public notice corrects a March 8, 1999, public notice announcing notice and filing requirements for the auction of Phase II 220 MHz Service spectrum.
pdf - text
See DA 99-474

3/8/1999
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 99-474)
PHASE II 220 MHz SERVICE SPECTRUM AUCTION Notice and Filing Requirements for Auction of Phase II 220 MHz, Service Spectrum Scheduled for June 8, 1999, Minimum Opening Bids and Other Procedural Issues
This Public Notice announces the procedures and minimum opening bids for the upcoming Phase II 220 MHz Service auction, Auction 24.
pdf - text
Attachment A: xls
Attachment B: xls
FCC Auction Seminar Registration Form (The Phase II 220 MHz Service Auction): pdf

11/24/1998
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 98-2386)
Phase II 220 MHz Service Spectrum Auction Scheduled for June 8, 1999; Application filing Deadline Set for May 10, 1999; Comment Sought on Reserve Prices or Minimum Opening Bids and Other Auction Procedures
The attached Public Notice announces an auction of 225 Phase II 220 MHz Service licenses set to begin on June 8, 1999, and seek comment on procedural issues relating to this auction (Auction 24).
pdf - text
Attachment: xls
Selected Rules (Part 1 & 90)
Parts 1 and 90 (Updated as of April 16, 1999)
pdf

Releases L

10/31/2006
LETTER (DA 06-2123)
Final Bid Withdrawal for Auction No. 18, 220 MHz Bidding Consortium

9/9/2002
LETTER (DA 02-2179)
Police Emergency Radio Services, Inc. Re: Final Bid Withdrawal Payment for Auction No. 24
This letter calculates final bid withdrawal obligations.

4/25/2002
LETTER (DA 02-953)
Letter to Messers. Jimmy Evans and Russ Taylor, Esquire (220 MHz Group) re: Auction No. 24 final Bid Withdrawal Payment
This letter assesses the final withdrawal payment obligation for the 220 MHz Group.

8/23/2001
LETTER (DA 01-1995)
Letter to Russ Taylor, Esq.
This letter sets forth the bid withdrawal payment obligations of 220 MHz Auction Group.

Releases O

10/23/2006
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER (DA 06-2093)
Petition by Access 220 for Extension of Terms for 220-222 MHz Band Phase I and Phase II Licenses, Consolidation of Licenses, and Other Relief
WTB's Mobility Division grants conditional 5-year renewal of 2 Phase I 220 MHz band nationwide licenses held by Access 220 but denies other relief requested, including requests for consolidation into a single license of all 119 of the Phase I and Phase II licenses held by Access in that band and extension of the terms of those licenses to 2019.

8/6/1998
FIFTH REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 98-186)
In the Matter of Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Use of the 220-222 MHz Band by the Private Land Mobile Radio Service Implementation of Sections 3(n) and 332 of the Communications Act Regulatory Treatment of Mobile Services Geographic Partitioning and Spectrum Disaggregation for the 220-222 MHz Service
This R&O Amends Part 90 of the Commission's Rules to adopt geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation rules for the 220 MHz service.

5/21/1998
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION (FCC 98-93)
In the Matter of Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Use of the 220-222 MHz Band by the Private Land Mobile Radio Service Implementation of Sections 3(n) and 332 of the Communications Act Regulatory Treatment of Mobile Services Implementation of Section 309(j) of the Communications Act Competitive Bidding
This MO&O considers Petitions for Reconsideration of Clarification of two Orders concerning the 220-222 MHz radio service.

8/25/1997
FOURTH REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 97-225)
In the Matter of Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Use of the 220-222 MHz Band by the Private Land Mobile Radio Service
This Order repeals the "40-mile rule" that currently provides that no Phase I 220 MHz licensee may be authorized to operate a station in a particular service category.
pdf - text

3/12/1997
THIRD REPORT AND ORDER; FIFTH NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (FCC 97-57)
In the Matter of Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Use of the 220-222 MHz Band by the Private Land Mobile Radio Service Implementation of Sections 3(n) and 332 of the Communications Act Regulatory Treatment of Mobile Services Implementation of Section 309(j) of the Communications Act - Competitive Bidding
This Order adopts rules to govern the future operation and licensing of the 220-222 MHz service.
pdf - text

1/26/1996
SECOND REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 96-27)
In the Matter of Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Use of the 220-222 MHz Band by the Private Land Mobile Radio Service Implementation of Sections 3(n) and 332 of the Communications Act Regulatory Treatment of Mobile Services
This Order adopts a procedure that will enable 220 MHz licensees to modify their licenses to relocate their authorized base stations to currently unauthorized locations.

Releases N

8/6/1998
NEWS RELEASE (NRWL8034)
FCC Adopts Partitioning and Disaggregation Rules For 220 MHz Licenses
pdf - text

2/12/1997
NEWS RELEASE
Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules to adopt geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation rules for the 220 MHz service in order to create more efficient use of the spectrum, increased opportunities to participate in provision of the 220 MHz service, and expedited delivery to unserved areas. Follows the general framework for partitioning and disaggregation adopted in other wireless services with minor changes to reflect the unique technical and regulatory aspects of the 220 MHz service. (PR Docket 89-552, GN Docket 93-252)
pdf - text