Auction 36: 800 MHz SMR Lower 80 Channels Service

Event	Date
Pre-Auction Seminar	9/18/2000
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline	9/29/2000; 6:00 pm ET
Upfront Payments Deadline	10/16/2000; 6:00 pm ET
Mock Auction	10/30/2000
Auction Start	11/1/2000
Auction Closed	12/5/2000

Licenses Offered

A total of 2,800 licenses were offered in this auction. Sixteen non-contiguous 5-channel blocks (0.25 MHz bandwidth) in each of 172 EAs and 3 EA like areas, covering the U.S. territories in the Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Each channel encompasses a base frequency and a mobile frequency which are 45 MHz separated. (See 47 C.F.R. 90.613) Economic Areas (EAs) is the geographic method used to assign these licenses.

Channeling Plan

Permissible Operations

800 MHz licensees may provide analog or digital services used for voice communications, paging, data and facsimile services. The SMR marketplace is allowing new acknowledgement paging and inventory tracking, credit card authorization, automatic vehicle location, fleet management, remote database access and voicemail.

License Period

Licenses are issued for a ten-year term from the initial license grant date. Licensees have a renewal expectancy based on the provision of substantial service and substantial compliance with applicable Commission rules, policies, and the Communications Act. (See 47 C.F.R. section 90.685 ).

Bidding Credits

Bidding credits are available to small and very small businesses (or consortia of small or very small businesses) as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 90.912 . A bidding credit represents the amount by which a bidder's winning bids are discounted. The size of the bidding credit depends on the average gross revenues for the preceding three years of the bidder and its controlling interests and affiliates

A bidder with average gross revenues of not more than $15 million for the preceding three years receives a 25 percent discount on its winning bids for 800 MHz lower band licenses ("small business")
A bidder with average gross revenues of not more than $3 million for the preceding three years receives a 35 percent discount on its winning bids for 800 MHz lower band licenses ("very small business")

Bidding credits are not cumulative. A qualifying applicant receives either the 25 percent or 35 percent bidding credit, but not both.

Tribal Land Bidding Credit

A winning bidder that intends to use its license(s) to deploy facilities and provide services to federally-recognized tribal lands that are unserved by any telecommunications carrier or that have a telephone service penetration rate equal to or below 70 percent was eligible to receive a tribal land bidding credit as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2107 and 1.2110(e). A tribal land bidding credit is in addition to, and separate from, any other bidding credit for which a winning bidder may qualify.

Unlike other bidding credits that are requested prior to the auction, a winning bidder applies for the tribal land bidding credit after winning the auction when it files its long-form application (FCC Form 601). In order for a winning bidder to be awarded a tribal land bidding credit, it must provide specific certifications regarding the servicing of tribal lands and is subject to specific performance criteria as set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 1.2110(e).

For additional information on the tribal land bidding credit, including how to determine the amount of credit available, see Public Notice DA 00-2219, released September 28, 2000, entitled Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces Availability of Bidding Credits for Providing Wireless Services to Qualifying Tribal Lands.

Incumbents

Incumbent licensees are present in the 800 MHz SMR band. Incumbent 800 SMR systems are entitled to co-channel protection by EA licensees, as well as adjacent channel interference protection. Incumbent systems, however, are not allowed to expand beyond existing service areas unless they obtain the EA license for the relevant channels.

Licensing Rules

No eligibility restrictions
Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the limitations specified in C.F.R. 47 § 20.6
Incumbent licensees present in the band
Licensed by Economic Areas (EAs) plus three other EA-like areas covering U.S. territories
Partitioning and/or disaggregation permitted

Releases P

12/7/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-2752)
800 MHz SMR Service Lower 80 Channels Auction Closes
This Public Notice provides detailed information concerning winning bidders, down payments, bid withdrawal payments and/or deposits, FCC Forms 601 and 602 filing requirements, requests for rule waivers, and licensing matters.

10/23/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-2368)
Auction of Licenses for 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Service Frequencies in the Lower 80 Channels Scheduled for November 1, 2000
This Public Notice identifies 28 applicants found to be qualified to bid for the 2,800 licenses in Auction No. 36.

10/6/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-2260)
Auction of Licenses for 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Service Frequencies in the Lower 80 Channels
This Public Notice announces the status of the 40 FCC Form 175 applications to participate in Auction No. 36 to begin on Wednesday, November 1, 2000 for 2,800 licenses in the 800 MHz Band.

9/28/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-2219)
WTB Announces Availability of Bidding Credits for Providing Wireless Services to Qualifying Tribal Lands
This Public Notice announces on July 27, 1999, the Wireless Bureau will hold a forum to receive feedback from bidders on their experiences with the auction process.
More Information Tribal Land Bidding Credits

9/7/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-2042)
800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Service Frequencies in the Lower 80 Channels; Pre-Auction Seminar Reminder
This Public Notice announces a free FCC pre-auction seminar for Auction No. 36 is scheduled for Monday, September 18, 2000.

8/11/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-1829)
Due Diligence Announcement for the Upcoming 800 MHz Spectrum Auctions
This Public Notice provides corrections and additional information to the potential bidders in these upcoming auctions.
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6/29/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-1449)
Due Diligence Announcement for Upcoming 800 MHz Spectrum Auctions
This Public Notice provides due diligence information, as of June 20, 2000, for potential bidders in the auctions for (1) the General Category channels of the 800 MHz band (Auction No. 34), scheduled for August 16, 2000, and (2) the lower 80 channels of the 800 MHz band (Auction No. 36), scheduled for November 1, 2000.
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6/23/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-1388)
Auction of Licenses for 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Service Frequencies in the Lower 80 Channels
This Public Notice announces the procedures and minimum opening bids for Auction No. 36. In addition, the auction has been rescheduled to November 1, 2000.

3/23/2000
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 00-668)
Auction of Licenses for 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Frequencies in the Lower 80 Channels Scheduled for September 13, 2000
The notice announces the proposed 2,800 licenses that are composed in Auction No. 36. In addition, this notice seeks comments on reserve prices or minimum opening bids and other procedural issues.
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