*Pages 1--61 from Microsoft Word - 32001* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov DA 03- 2354 August 28, 2003 AUCTION OF LICENSES IN THE MULTICHANNEL VIDEO DISTRIBUTION AND DATA SERVICE RESCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 14, 2004 Notice and Filing Requirements, Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments and Other Auction Procedures Report No. AUC- 03- 53- D (Auction No. 53) I. GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................... 1 A. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 1. Background of Proceeding..................................................................................... 1 2. Licenses to Be Auctioned ...................................................................................... 2 B. Rules and Disclaimers......................................................................................................... 3 1. Relevant Authority................................................................................................. 3 2. Prohibition of Collusion ........................................................................................ 4 3. Interference Protection........................................................................................... 6 4. Due Diligence ........................................................................................................ 6 5. Bidder Alerts.......................................................................................................... 7 6. National Environmental Policy Act Requirements................................................ 8 C. Auction Specifics................................................................................................................ 8 1. Auction Date.......................................................................................................... 8 2. Auction Title.......................................................................................................... 8 3. Bidding Methodology............................................................................................ 9 4. Pre- Auction Dates and Deadlines .......................................................................... 9 5. Requirements For Participation ............................................................................. 9 6. General Contact Information ............................................................................... 10 II. SHORT- FORM (FCC FORM 175) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS..................................... 11 A. License Selection .............................................................................................................. 11 B. Ownership Disclosure Requirements (FCC Form 175 Exhibit A) ................................... 11 1 C. Consortia and Joint Bidding Arrangements (FCC Form 175 Exhibit B).......................... 11 D. Eligibility .......................................................................................................................... 12 1. Bidding Credit Eligibility (FCC Form 175 Exhibit C) ........................................ 12 2. Tribal Land Bidding Credit.................................................................................. 12 3. Applicability of Part 1 Attribution Rules............................................................. 13 4. Eligibility Restrictions for Cable Operators ........................................................ 14 5. Supporting Documentation .................................................................................. 14 E. Provisions Regarding Defaulters and Former Defaulters (FCC Form 175 Exhibit D) ...................................................................................................................................... 15 F. Installment Payments ........................................................................................................ 15 G. Other Information (FCC Form 175 Exhibits E and F)...................................................... 16 H. Minor Modifications to Short- Form Applications (FCC Form 175) ................................ 16 I. Maintaining Current Information in Short- Form Applications (FCC Form 175)............. 16 III. PRE- AUCTION PROCEDURES................................................................................................. 16 A. Auction Seminar ............................................................................................................... 16 B. Short- Form Application (FCC Form 175) — Due November 12, 2003........................... 17 1. Electronic Filing .................................................................................................. 17 2. Completion of the FCC Form 175 ....................................................................... 17 3. Electronic Review of FCC Form 175 .................................................................. 17 C. Application Processing and Minor Corrections................................................................ 17 D. Upfront Payments — Due December 8, 2003 .................................................................. 18 1. Making Auction Payments by Wire Transfer ...................................................... 18 2. FCC Form 159 ..................................................................................................... 19 3. Amount of Upfront Payment ............................................................................... 19 4. Applicant’s Wire Transfer Information for Purposes of Refunds of Upfront Payments ................................................................................................ 21 E. Auction Registration ......................................................................................................... 22 F. Remote Electronic Bidding............................................................................................... 22 G. Mock Auction ................................................................................................................... 22 IV. AUCTION EVENT........................................................................................................................ 22 A. Auction Structure.............................................................................................................. 23 1. Simultaneous Multiple Round Auction ............................................................... 23 2. Maximum Eligibility and Activity Rules............................................................. 23 3. Auction Stages ..................................................................................................... 23 4. Stage Transitions.................................................................................................. 24 5. Activity Rule Waivers and Reducing Eligibility ................................................. 25 2 6. Auction Stopping Rules....................................................................................... 26 7. Auction Delay, Suspension, or Cancellation ....................................................... 26 B. Bidding Procedures........................................................................................................... 27 1. Round Structure ................................................................................................... 27 2. Reserve Price or Minimum Opening Bid............................................................. 27 3. Minimum Acceptable Bids and Bid Increments .................................................. 29 4. High Bids ............................................................................................................. 30 5. Bidding ................................................................................................................ 30 6. Bid Removal and Bid Withdrawal....................................................................... 31 7. Round Results...................................................................................................... 33 8. Auction Announcements...................................................................................... 33 9. Maintaining the Accuracy of FCC Form 175 Information .................................. 33 V. POST- AUCTION PROCEDURES................................................................................................ 33 A. Down Payments and Withdrawn Bid Payments ............................................................... 33 B. Final Payments.................................................................................................................. 34 C. Auction Discount Voucher ............................................................................................... 34 D. Long- Form Application (FCC Form 601) ........................................................................ 35 E. Ownership Disclosure Information Report (FCC Form 602) ........................................... 35 F. Tribal Land Bidding Credit............................................................................................... 35 G. Default and Disqualification ............................................................................................. 36 H. Refund of Remaining Upfront Payment Balance ............................................................. 36 VI. Attachment A: Licenses to be Auctioned ..................................................................................... A- 1 VII. Attachment B: FCC Auction Seminar Registration Form............................................................ B- 1 VIII. Attachment C: Electronic Filing and Review of the FCC Form 175 ........................................... C- 1 IX. Attachment D: Guidelines for Completion of FCC Form 175 and Exhibits ............................... D- 1 X. Attachment E: Auction- Specific Instructions for FCC Remittance Advice (FCC Form 159 - February 2003 Edition).............................................................................................................. E- 1 XI. Attachment F: Minimum Acceptable Bids, Bid Increments, and the Smoothing Formula .......... F- 1 XII. Attachment G: Summary Listing of Documents from the Commission and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Addressing Application of the Anti- Collusion Rules ................... G- 1 3 1 I. GENERAL INFORMATION A. Introduction By this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (“ Bureau”) announces that the auction of licenses in the Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service (“ MVDDS”) (Auction No. 53) 1 has been rescheduled for January 14, 2004. 2 In addition, the Bureau announces the procedures and minimum opening bids for this auction. On January 30, 2003, in accordance with the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, 3 the Bureau released a public notice seeking comment on reserve prices or minimum opening bids and the procedures to be used in Auction No. 53. 4 The Bureau received one comment and one reply comment in response to the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice. 5 1. Background of Proceeding On December 8, 2000, the Commission released the First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET Docket No. 98- 206, which authorized MVDDS as a new service under the existing primary status fixed service allocation in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band. 6 On May 23, 2002, the Commission released the Second 1 See Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Operation of NGSO FSS Systems Co-Frequency with GSO and Terrestrial Systems in the Ku- Band Frequency Range; Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Authorize Subsidiary Terrestrial Use of the 12. 2- 12. 7 GHz Band by Direct Broadcast Satellite Licensees and Their Affiliates; and Applications of Broadwave USA, PDC Broadband Corporation, and Satellite Receivers, Ltd. to Provide A Fixed Service in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 98- 206, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Second Report and Order, 17 FCC Rcd 9614 (2002) (“ Second Report and Order”). The following eligibility restriction applies to MVDDS licenses: no cable operator, nor any entity owning an attributable interest in a cable operator, may hold an attributable interest in an MVDDS license if such cable operator's service area significantly overlaps the MVDDS license area. See 47 C. F. R. § 101.1412. 2 On May 9, 2003, the auction, which had been scheduled to begin on June 25, 2003, was postponed. See Auction of Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Licenses (Auction No. 53) Is Postponed, Public Notice, 18 FCC Rcd 9519 (2003). 3 Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Pub. L. No. 105- 33, 111 Stat. 251, § 3002( a) (1997) (codified at 47 U. S. C. § 309( j)( 4)( F)) (“ Balanced Budget Act”). 4 See Auction of Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Licenses Rescheduled for June 25, 2003; Comment Sought on Reserve Prices or Minimum Opening Bids and Other Auction Procedures, Public Notice, 18 FCC Rcd 1105 (2003) (“ Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice”). The Commission’s authority to establish a reserve price or minimum opening bid is set forth in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( c) and (d). 5 Comments were filed on February 13, 2003, by Northpoint Technology, Ltd., and Broadwave USA, Inc. (collectively, “Northpoint”). Reply Comments were filed on February 20, 2003, by MDS America, Incorporated (“ MDS America”). Northpoint argues that the Commission has based the operating parameters of MVDDS on its patented technology, and that the auction of MVDDS licenses is therefore contrary to law. Northpoint Comments at 2- 4. The Bureau’s process for seeking comment on auction procedures is not an appropriate forum to address such an issue. Such an issue should instead have been raised in a petition for reconsideration of the Commission’s final action establishing service and licensing rules for MVDDS. Moreover, petitions for reconsideration of a final action in a notice and comment rulemaking proceeding must be filed within 30 days from the date of public notice of such action. See 47 C. F. R. § 1.429( a), (d). 6 Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Operation of NGSO FSS Systems Co- Frequency with GSO and Terrestrial Systems in the Ku- Band Frequency Range; Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Authorize Subsidiary Terrestrial Use of the 12. 2- 12. 7 GHz Band by Direct Broadcast Satellite Licensees and Their Affiliates; and 4 2 Report and Order in this proceeding, which adopted technical and service rules, including competitive bidding rules, for MVDDS. On April 15, 2003, the Commission released the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, which sought further comment on the appropriate service area definition for MVDDS and on whether the build out requirement for this service should be modified. 7 On July 7, 2003, the Commission released the Third Report and Order, in which it decided to license MVDDS on the basis of Designated Market Areas (“ DMAs”) rather than Component Economic Areas (“ CEAs”) and adopted a five- year build out requirement. 8 MVDDS licensees may provide any digital fixed one- way non- broadcast service including direct- to- home/ office wireless service. 9 Mobile and aeronautical services are not authorized. Two- way services may be provided by using other spectrum or media for the return or upstream path. 10 MVDDS providers will share the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band on a co- primary basis with non- geostationary satellite orbit (“ NGSO”) fixed- satellite services (“ FSS”) and on a non- harmful interference basis with incumbent Direct Broadcast Satellite (“ DBS”) providers. The technical criteria for sharing established in the Second Report and Order are designed to protect NGSO FSS and DBS operations from harmful interference. 2. Licenses to Be Auctioned Auction No. 53 will offer 214 licenses based on DMAs and FCC- defined DMA- like service areas encompassing the United States, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. 11 The 214 service areas are based on the 210 DMAs delineated by Nielsen in its publication entitled “U. S. Television Household Estimates” dated September 2002 (which lists estimates of television Applications of Broadwave USA, PDC Broadband Corporation, and Satellite Receivers, Ltd. to Provide A Fixed Service in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 98- 206, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 16 FCC Rcd 4096 (2000). 7 Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Operation of NGSO FSS Systems Co- Frequency with GSO and Terrestrial Systems in the Ku- Band Frequency Range; Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Authorize Subsidiary Terrestrial Use of the 12. 2- 12. 7 GHz Band by Direct Broadcast Satellite Licensees and Their Affiliates; and Applications of Broadwave USA, PDC Broadband Corporation, and Satellite Receivers, Ltd. to Provide A Fixed Service in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 98- 206, Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 18 FCC Rcd 7589 (2003). 8 Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Operation of NGSO FSS Systems Co- Frequency with GSO and Terrestrial Systems in the Ku- Band Frequency Range; Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Authorize Subsidiary Terrestrial Use of the 12. 2- 12. 7 GHz Band by Direct Broadcast Satellite Licensees and Their Affiliates; and Applications of Broadwave USA, PDC Broadband Corporation, and Satellite Receivers, Ltd. to Provide a Fixed Service in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 98- 206, Third Report and Order, FCC 03- 152, 68 FR 42610 (July 18, 2003) (“ Third Report and Order”). 9 47 C. F. R. §101.1407. Broadcast services are intended for reception of the general public and not on a subscribership basis. 10 Id. 11 DMAs have been developed by Nielsen Media Research (“ Nielsen”) utilizing audience survey information from cable and non- cable households to determine the assignment of counties to local television markets. See http:// www. nielsenmedia. com/ DMAs. html. Nielsen determines what constitutes a separate market by applying a complex statistical formula based upon viewership and other factors. Nielsen owns the copyright to the DMA listing. While most DMAs consist of one contiguous geographic area, a few are composed of multiple noncontiguous areas. 5 3 households “as of January 2003” and can be found at Nielsen's website at http:// www. nielsenmedia. com) plus the following four FCC- defined service area additions: Alaska - Balance of State (all geographic areas of Alaska not included in Nielsen’s three DMAs for the state: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau), Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Potential applicants should note that the boundaries of the DMA- based service areas of the 214 licenses offered in Auction No. 53 will not change, even if Nielsen alters the boundaries of its DMAs in the future, as it has in the past. Each license will authorize the use of one block of unpaired spectrum in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band. The Commission’s assignment of MVDDS licenses will not confer on applicants or licensees the right to use Nielsen’s DMA mark, regions, or data, and such right must be obtained from Nielsen. In addition, the Commission does not have the right to republish DMA regions or data. Therefore, the Commission will not provide the populations, counties, or a map of DMAs to applicants for Auction No. 53 either before or during the auction. Applicants wishing to obtain such DMA data and maps will need to acquire them from Nielsen. A complete list of the licenses available in Auction No. 53 is included in Attachment A of this Public Notice. The characteristics of these licenses are shown in the following table: Frequencies Bandwidth Geographic Area Type No. of Licenses 12.2 – 12.7 GHz 500 MHz DMA 214 B. Rules and Disclaimers 1. Relevant Authority Prospective bidders must familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Commission’s rules relating to MVDDS contained in Title 47, Part 101, of the Code of Federal Regulations, and those relating to application and auction procedures, contained in Title 47, Part 1, of the Code of Federal Regulations. Prospective bidders must also be thoroughly familiar with the procedures, terms and conditions (collectively, "terms") contained in this Public Notice; the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice; and the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order (as well as prior and subsequent Commission proceedings regarding competitive bidding procedures). 12 The terms contained in the Commission’s rules, relevant orders, and public notices are not negotiable. The Commission may amend or supplement the information contained in our public notices at any time, and will issue public notices to convey any new or supplemental information to applicants. It is the responsibility of all applicants to remain current with all Commission rules and with all public notices pertaining to this auction. Copies of most Commission documents, including public notices, can be retrieved from the FCC Auctions Internet site at 12 Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules- Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Order on Reconsideration of the Third Report and Order, Fifth Report and Order, and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 15 FCC Rcd 15293 (2000) (modified by Erratum, DA 00- 2475 (rel. Nov. 3, 2000)) (“ Part 1 Fifth Report and Order”) (recons. pending). Other decisions regarding the Commission’s competitive bidding procedures include, but are not limited to, the following: Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules- Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Seventh Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 17546 (2001) (“ Part 1 Seventh Report and Order”) (amending the anti-collusion rule, which is codified at 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c)); Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules- Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Eighth Report and Order, 17 FCC Rcd 2962 (2002) (amending Section 1.2110 of the Commission’s rules); and Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules- Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Second Order on Reconsideration of the Third Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration of the Fifth Report and Order, FCC 03- 98 (rel. May 8, 2003) (“ Order on Reconsideration of the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order”) (further amending Section 1.2110 to exempt the gross revenues of the affiliates of a rural telephone cooperative’s officers and directors from attribution to the applicant and adopting other modifications to the competitive bidding rules). 6 4 http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ auctions. Additionally, documents are available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY- A257, Washington, DC 20554. Documents may also be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Qualex International, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY- B402, Washington, DC 20554, 202- 863- 2893 (telephone), 202- 863- 2898 (facsimile), or qualexint@ aol. com (e- mail). When ordering documents from Qualex, please provide the appropriate FCC document number (for example, FCC 02- 116 for the Second Report and Order). 2. Prohibition of Collusion To ensure the competitiveness of the auction process, Section 1.2105( c) of the Commission’s rules prohibits applicants for any of the same geographic license areas from communicating with each other during the auction about bids, bidding strategies, or settlements unless such applicants have identified each other on their FCC Form 175 applications as parties with whom they have entered into agreements under Section 1.2105( a)( 2)( viii). 13 Thus, applicants for any of the same geographic license areas must affirmatively avoid all discussions with each other that affect, or in their reasonable assessment have the potential to affect, bidding or bidding strategy. This prohibition begins at the short- form application filing deadline and ends at the down payment deadline after the auction. 14 For purposes of this prohibition, Section 1.2105( c)( 7)( i) defines applicant as including all controlling interests in the entity submitting a short- form application to participate in the auction, as well as all holders of partnership and other ownership interests and any stock interest amounting to 10 percent or more of the entity, or outstanding stock, or outstanding voting stock of the entity submitting a short- form application, and all officers and directors of that entity. 15 Applicants for licenses in any of the same geographic license areas are encouraged not to use the same individual as an authorized bidder. A violation of the anti- collusion rule could occur if an individual acts as the authorized bidder for two or more competing applicants, and conveys information concerning the substance of bids or bidding strategies between the applicants he or she is authorized to represent in the auction. A violation could similarly occur if the authorized bidders are different individuals employed by the same organization (e. g., law firm or consulting firm). In such a case, at a minimum, applicants should certify on their applications that precautionary steps have been taken to prevent communication between authorized bidders and that applicants and their bidding agents will comply with the anti- collusion rule. 16 However, the Bureau cautions that merely filing a certifying statement as part of an application will not outweigh specific evidence that collusive behavior has occurred, nor will it preclude the initiation of an investigation when warranted. 17 The Commission’s anti- collusion rules allow applicants to form certain agreements during the auction, provided the applicants have not applied for licenses covering the same geographic areas. In Auction No. 53, for example, the 13 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c)( 1); 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( viii). See also Part 1 Seventh Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 17546 (2001); Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15297- 98, ¶¶ 7- 8. 14 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c)( 1). 15 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c)( 7)( i). 16 See In re Application of Nevada Wireless for a License to Provide 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio Service in the Farmington, NM- CO Economic Area (EA- 155) Frequency Band A, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11973, 11977 ¶ 11 (1998). 17 See id., at 11978. 7 5 rule will apply to any applicants that apply for the same DMA- based service area. 18 In addition, applicants that apply to bid for all markets will be precluded from communicating with all other applicants until after the down payment deadline. However, all applicants may enter into bidding agreements before filing their FCC Form 175, as long as they disclose the existence of the agreement( s) in their Form 175. 19 If parties agree in principle on all material terms prior to the short- form filing deadline, those parties must be identified on the short- form application pursuant to Section 1.2105( c), even if the agreement has not been reduced to writing. If the parties have not agreed in principle by the filing deadline, an applicant would not include the names of those parties on its application, and may not continue negotiations with other applicants for licenses covering any of the same geographic areas. 20 By signing their FCC Form 175 short- form applications, applicants are certifying their compliance with Section 1.2105( c). Section 1.65 of the Commission’s rules requires an applicant to maintain the accuracy and completeness of information furnished in its pending application and to notify the Commission within 30 days of any substantial change that may be of decisional significance to that application. 21 Thus, Section 1.65 requires auction applicants that engage in communications of bids or bidding strategies that result in a bidding agreement, arrangement or understanding not already identified on their short- form applications to promptly disclose any such agreement, arrangement or understanding to the Commission by amending their pending applications. In addition, Section 1.2105( c)( 6) requires all auction applicants to report prohibited discussions or disclosures regarding bids or bidding strategy to the Commission in writing immediately but in no case later than five business days after the communication occurs, even if the communication does not result in an agreement or understanding regarding bids or bidding strategy that must be reported under Section 1.65. 22 Applicants that are winning bidders will be required to disclose in their long- form applications the specific terms, conditions, and parties involved in all bidding consortia, joint ventures, partnerships, and other arrangements entered into relating to the competitive bidding process. 23 Any applicant found to have violated the anti- collusion rule may be subject to sanctions, including forfeiture of its upfront payment, down payment or full bid amount, and may be prohibited from participating in future auctions. 24 In addition, applicants are reminded that they are subject to the antitrust laws, which are designed to prevent anticompetitive behavior in the marketplace. If an applicant is found to have violated the antitrust laws in connection with its participation in the competitive bidding process, it may be subject to forfeiture of its upfront payment, down payment, or full bid amount and may be prohibited from participating in future auctions. 25 18 See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Clarifies Spectrum Auction Anti- Collusion Rules, Public Notice, DA 95- 2244, 11 FCC Rcd 9645 (1995). 19 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c). 20 See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Clarifies Spectrum Auction Anti- Collusion Rules, Public Notice, 11 FCC Rcd 9645 (1995). 21 47 C. F. R. § 1.65. 22 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c)( 6); see also Part 1 Seventh Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd at 17555, ¶ 17. 23 47 C. F. R. § 1.2107( d). 24 See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2109( d). 25 Id. 8 6 A summary listing of documents issued by the Commission and the Bureau addressing the application of the anti-collusion rules may be found in Attachment G. 3. Interference Protection Among other licensing and technical rules, MVDDS licensees must comply with the interference protection and coordination requirements set forth in Sections 101.105, 101.1421, and 101.1440 of the Commission’s rules. 26 Generally, Sections 101.105, 101.1421, and 101.1440 establish standards for protection of co- primary NGSO FSS earth stations, incumbent and adjacent area licensees and co- primary DBS earth stations. MVDDS shall be licensed on a non- harmful interference co- primary basis to existing DBS operations and on a co- primary basis with NGSO FSS stations in this band. MVDDS licensees must also protect and/ or develop sharing agreements with neighboring licensees. a. Incumbent Licensees Terrestrial private operational fixed point- to- point stations in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band which were licensed prior to MVDDS are incumbent point- to- point stations. However, only those stations licensed as public safety must be protected from harmful interference caused by later MVDDS entrants in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band. MVDDS operators have the responsibility of resolving any harmful interference problems that their operations may cause to these public safety incumbent point- to- point operations in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band. b. Canadian and Mexican Border Regions MVDDS systems in the United States within 56 km (35 miles) of the Canadian and Mexican border will be granted conditional licenses, until final international agreements are approved. MVDDS systems may not cause harmful interference to stations in Canada or Mexico. 27 No stations are allowed within 5 miles of the borders. c. Quiet Zone MVDDS stations must protect the radio quiet zones. 28 Stations are cautioned that they must receive the appropriate approvals directly from the relevant quiet zone entity prior to operating. 4. Due Diligence Potential applicants are reminded that there are a number of incumbent terrestrial private operational fixed point- to-point licensees in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band which were licensed prior to MVDDS and are not entitled to protection from harmful interference caused by later MVDDS entrants in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band, except for public safety stations, which must be protected. MVDDS has the responsibility of resolving any harmful interference problems that their operations may cause to these public safety incumbent point- to- point operations in the 12.2- 12.7 GHz band. To aid potential bidders, a list of public safety incumbents in this band is attached as Appendix I to the Second Report and Order, ET Docket No. 98- 206, released May 23, 2002. 29 26 47 C. F. R. § 101.105 (Interference protection criteria), 47 C. F. R. § 101.1421 (Coordination of adjacent area MVDDS stations and incumbent public safety POFS stations), and 47 C. F. R. § 101.1440 (MVDDS protection of DBS). 27 47 C. F. R. § 101.147( p), § 101.1423, and §§ 1.928( f)( 1) and (2). 28 47 C. F. R. § 101.105 and § 1.924. 29 See supra note 1. 9 10 6. General Contact Information GENERAL AUCTION INFORMATION FCC Auctions Hotline General Auction Questions (888) 225- 5322, Press Option #2 Seminar Registration or direct (717) 338- 2888 Hours of service: 8: 00 a. m. – 5: 30 p. m. ET, Monday through Friday AUCTION LEGAL INFORMATION Auctions and Industry Analysis Division Auction Rules, Policies, Regulations Legal Branch (202) 418- 0660 LICENSING INFORMATION Public Safety and Private Wireless Division Rules, Policies, Regulations Licensing Issues Due Diligence Incumbency Issues (202) 418- 0680 TECHNICAL SUPPORT FCC Auctions Technical Support Hotline Electronic Filing (202) 414- 1250 (Voice), FCC Automated Auction System (202) 414- 1255 (TTY) Hours of service: 8: 00 a. m. – 6: 00 p. m. ET, Monday through Friday PAYMENT INFORMATION FCC Auctions Accounting Branch Wire Transfers (202) 418- 0578 Refunds (202) 418- 2843 (Fax) TELEPHONIC BIDDING Will be furnished only to qualified bidders FCC COPY CONTRACTOR Qualex International Additional Copies of 445 12 th Street, SW, Room CY- B402 Commission Documents Washington, DC 20554 (202) 863- 2893 (202) 863- 2898 (Fax) qualexint@ aol. com (E- mail) PRESS INFORMATION Meribeth McCarrick (202) 418- 0654 FCC FORMS (800) 418- 3676 (outside Washington, DC) (202) 418- 3676 (in the Washington Area) http:// www. fcc. gov/ formpage. html FCC INTERNET SITES http:// www. fcc. gov http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ auctions http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ uls 13 11 II. SHORT- FORM (FCC FORM 175) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Guidelines for completion of the short- form (FCC Form 175) are set forth in Attachment D to this public notice. The short- form application seeks the applicant’s name and address; legal classification; status; bidding credit eligibility; identification of the license( s) sought; and the authorized bidders and contact persons. All applicants must certify on their FCC Form 175 applications under penalty of perjury that they are legally, technically, financially and otherwise qualified to hold a license and, as discussed below in Section II. E (Provisions Regarding Defaulters and Former Defaulters), that they are not in default on any payment for Commission licenses (including down payments) or delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency. A. License Selection In Auction No. 53, Form 175 will include a mechanism that allows an applicant to create customized lists of licenses. The applicant will select the filter criteria and the system will produce a list of licenses satisfying the specified criteria. The applicant may apply for all the licenses in the list (by using the “Save all filtered licenses” option) or select and save individual licenses separately from the list. B. Ownership Disclosure Requirements (FCC Form 175 Exhibit A) All applicants must comply with the uniform Part 1 ownership disclosure standards and provide information required by Sections 1.2105 and 1.2112 of the Commission’s rules. Specifically, in completing FCC Form 175, applicants will be required to file an “Exhibit A” providing a full and complete statement of the ownership of the bidding entity. The ownership disclosure standards for the short- form are set forth in Section 1.2112 of the Commission’s rules. 32 C. Consortia and Joint Bidding Arrangements (FCC Form 175 Exhibit B) Applicants will be required to identify on their short- form applications any parties with whom they have entered into any consortium arrangements, joint ventures, partnerships or other agreements or understandings which relate in any way to the licenses being auctioned, including any agreements relating to post- auction market structure. 33 Applicants will also be required to certify on their short- form applications that they have not entered into any explicit or implicit agreements, arrangements or understandings of any kind with any parties, other than those identified, regarding the amount of their bids, bidding strategies, or the particular licenses on which they will or will not bid. 34 As discussed above, if an applicant has had discussions, but has not reached a joint bidding agreement by the short- form deadline, it would not include the names of parties to the discussions on its applications and may not continue discussions with applicants for any of the same geographic license areas after the deadline. 35 Where applicants have entered into consortia or joint bidding arrangements, applicants must submit an “Exhibit B” to the FCC Form 175. 32 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105 requires the disclosure on the short- form of the applicant’s ownership information as set forth in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2112. Note that both of these sections were revised in the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order. See also Order on Reconsideration of the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, FCC 03- 98 (rel. May 8, 2003). 33 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.2105( a)( 2)( viii), (c)( 1). 34 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( ix). 35 See Section I. B. 2, above. 14 15 Entrepreneur, small business, or very small business eligibility (Exhibit C). Entities applying to bid as entrepreneurs, small businesses, or very small businesses (or consortia of entrepreneurs, small businesses, or very small businesses) will be required to disclose on Exhibit C to their FCC Form 175 short- form applications, separately and in the aggregate, the gross revenues for the preceding three years of each of the following: (1) the applicant, (2) its affiliates, (3) its controlling interests, and (4) the affiliates of its controlling interests. Certification that the average annual gross revenues for the preceding three years do not exceed the applicable limit is not sufficient. A statement of the total gross revenues for the preceding three years is also insufficient. The applicant must provide separately for itself, its affiliates, its controlling interests, and the affiliates of its controlling interests, a schedule of gross revenues for each of the preceding three years, as well as a statement of total average gross revenues for the three- year period. If the applicant is applying as a consortium of entrepreneurs, small businesses, or very small businesses, this information must be provided for each consortium member. E. Provisions Regarding Defaulters and Former Defaulters (FCC Form 175 Exhibit D) Each applicant must certify on its FCC Form 175 application under penalty of perjury that the applicant, its controlling interests, its affiliates, and the affiliates of its controlling interests, as defined by Section 1. 2110, are not in default on any payment for Commission licenses (including down payments) and not delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency. 50 In addition, each applicant must attach to its FCC Form 175 application a statement made under penalty of perjury indicating whether or not the applicant, its affiliates, its controlling interests, or the affiliates of its controlling interests, as defined by Section 1.2110, have ever been in default on any Commission licenses or have ever been delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency. 51 Applicants must include this statement as Exhibit D of the FCC Form 175. Prospective applicants are reminded that submission of a false certification to the Commission is a serious matter that may result in severe penalties, including monetary forfeitures, license revocations, exclusion from participation in future auctions, and/ or criminal prosecution. “Former defaulters” — i. e., applicants, including their attributable interest holders, that in the past have defaulted on any Commission licenses or been delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency, but that have since remedied all such defaults and cured all of their outstanding non- tax delinquencies — are eligible to bid in Auction No. 53, provided that they are otherwise qualified. However, as discussed infra in Section III. D. 3, former defaulters are required to pay upfront payments that are fifty percent more than the normal upfront payment amounts. 52 F. Installment Payments Installment payment plans will not be available in Auction No. 53. 50 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( x); Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission's Rules - Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Order on Reconsideration of the Third Report and Order, Fifth Report and Order, and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 15 FCC Rcd 15293 at 15317, 42 (2000) (“ Order on Reconsideration of the Part 1 Third Report and Order”). 51 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( xi); Order on Reconsideration of the Part 1 Third Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15317, n. 142. 52 47 C. F. R. § 1.2106( a). 18 16 G. Other Information (FCC Form 175 Exhibits E and F) Applicants owned by minorities or women, as defined in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2110( c)( 2), may attach an exhibit (Exhibit E) regarding this status. This applicant status information is collected for statistical purposes only and assists the Commission in monitoring the participation of “designated entities” in its auctions. Applicants wishing to submit additional information may do so on Exhibit F (Miscellaneous Information) to the FCC Form 175. Applicants must also certify as an exhibit to their short- form application that they, and all parties to the application, will come into compliance with Section 101.1412( a) regarding eligibility restrictions for cable operators. This certification should be included as Exhibit F. H. Minor Modifications to Short- Form Applications (FCC Form 175) After the short- form filing deadline (6: 00 p. m. ET on November 12, 2003), applicants may make only minor changes to their FCC Form 175 applications. Applicants will not be permitted to make major modifications to their applications (e. g., change their license selections, change the certifying official, change control of the applicant, or change bidding credits). See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105. Permissible minor changes include, for example, deletion and addition of authorized bidders (to a maximum of three) and revision of exhibits. Applicants should make these modifications to their FCC Form 175 electronically and submit a letter, briefly summarizing the changes, by electronic mail to the attention of Margaret Wiener, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, at the following address: auction53@ fcc. gov. The electronic mail summarizing the changes must include a subject or caption referring to Auction No. 53. The Bureau requests that parties format any attachments to electronic mail as Adobe ® Acrobat ® (pdf) or Microsoft ® Word documents. A separate copy of the letter should be faxed to the attention of Kathryn Garland at (717) 338- 2850. Questions about other changes should be directed to Brian Carter of the Auctions and Industry Analysis Division at (202) 418- 0660. I. Maintaining Current Information in Short- Form Applications (FCC Form 175) Section 1.65 of the Commission's rules requires an applicant to maintain the accuracy and completeness of information furnished in its pending application and to notify the Commission within 30 days of any substantial change that may be of decisional significance to that application. Amendments reporting substantial changes of possible decisional significance in information contained in FCC Form 175 applications, as defined by 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( b)( 2), will not be accepted and may in some instances result in the dismissal of the FCC Form 175 application. III. PRE- AUCTION PROCEDURES A. Auction Seminar On Wednesday, October 29, 2003, the FCC will sponsor a free seminar for Auction No. 53 at the Federal Communications Commission, located at 445 12 th Street, SW, Washington, DC. The seminar will provide attendees with information about pre- auction procedures, auction conduct, the FCC Automated Auction System, auction rules, and the MVDDS service rules. The seminar will also provide an opportunity for prospective bidders to ask questions of FCC staff. To register, complete the registration form attached hereto as Attachment B and submit it by Monday, October 27, 2003. Registrations are accepted on a first- come, first- served basis. 19 17 B. Short- Form Application (FCC Form 175) — Due November 12, 2003 In order to be eligible to bid in this auction, applicants must first submit an FCC Form 175 application. This application must be submitted electronically and received at the Commission no later than 6: 00 p. m. ET on November 12, 2003. Late applications will not be accepted. There is no application fee required when filing an FCC Form 175. However, to be eligible to bid, an applicant must submit an upfront payment. See Section III. D, below. 1. Electronic Filing Applicants must file their FCC Form 175 applications electronically. 53 Applications may generally be filed at any time beginning at noon ET on October 29, 2003, until 6: 00 p. m. ET on November 12, 2003. Applicants are strongly encouraged to file early and are responsible for allowing adequate time for filing their applications. Applicants may update or amend their electronic applications multiple times until the filing deadline on November 12, 2003. Applicants must press the “SUBMIT Application” button on the “Submission” page of the electronic form to successfully submit their FCC Form 175s. Any form that is not submitted will not be reviewed by the FCC. Information about accessing the FCC Form 175 is included in Attachment C. Technical support is available at (202) 414- 1250 (voice) or (202) 414- 1255 (text telephone (TTY)); hours of service are Monday through Friday, from 8: 00 AM to 6: 00 PM ET. In order to provide better service to the public, all calls to the hotline are recorded. Applicants can also contact Technical Support via e- mail. To obtain the address, click the Support tab on the Form 175 Homepage. 2. Completion of the FCC Form 175 Applicants should carefully review 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105, and must complete all items on the FCC Form 175. Instructions for completing the FCC Form 175 are in Attachment D of this public notice. Applicants are encouraged to begin preparing the required attachments for FCC Form 175 prior to submitting the form. Attachments C and D to this public notice provide information on the required attachments and appropriate formats. 3. Electronic Review of FCC Form 175 The FCC Form 175 electronic review system may be used to locate and print applicants’ FCC Form 175 information. There is no fee for accessing this system. See Attachment C for details on accessing the review system. Applicants may also view other applicants’ completed FCC Form 175s after the filing deadline has passed and the FCC has issued a public notice explaining the status of the applications. NOTE: Applicants should not include sensitive information (i. e., TIN/ EIN) on any exhibits to their FCC Form 175 applications. C. Application Processing and Minor Corrections After the deadline for filing the FCC Form 175 applications has passed, the FCC will process all timely submitted applications to determine which are acceptable for filing, and subsequently will issue a public notice identifying: 53 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a). 20 19 Applicants must fax a completed FCC Form 159 (Revised 2/ 03) to Mellon Bank at (412) 209- 6045 at least one hour before placing the order for the wire transfer (but on the same business day). On the cover sheet of the fax, write “Wire Transfer — Auction Payment for Auction Event No. 53.” In order to meet the Commission’s upfront payment deadline, an applicant’s payment must be credited to the Commission's account by the deadline. 55 Applicants are responsible for obtaining confirmation from their financial institution that Mellon Bank has timely received their upfront payment and deposited it in the proper account. 2. FCC Form 159 A completed FCC Remittance Advice Form (FCC Form 159, Revised 2/ 03) must be faxed to Mellon Bank in order to accompany each upfront payment. Proper completion of FCC Form 159 (Revised 2/ 03) is critical to ensuring correct credit of upfront payments. Detailed instructions for completion of FCC Form 159 are included in Attachment E to this public notice. An electronic version of the FCC Form 159 is available after filing the FCC Form 175. The FCC Form 159 can be completed electronically, but must be filed with Mellon Bank via facsimile. 3. Amount of Upfront Payment In the Part 1 Order the Commission delegated to the Bureau the authority and discretion to determine appropriate upfront payment( s) for each auction. 56 In addition, in the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, the Commission ordered that “former defaulters,” i. e., applicants that have ever been in default on any Commission license or have ever been delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency, be required to pay upfront payments fifty percent greater than non-“ former defaulters.” 57 For purposes of this calculation, the “applicant” includes the applicant itself, its affiliates, its controlling interests, and affiliates of its controlling interests, as defined by Section 1.2110 of the Commission’s rules (as amended in the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order). 58 In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed that the amount of the upfront payment would determine the number of bidding units on which a bidder may place bids. 59 In order to bid on a license, otherwise qualified bidders that applied for that license on Form 175 must have an eligibility level that meets or exceeds the number of bidding units assigned to that license. At a minimum, therefore, an applicant’s total upfront payment must be enough to establish eligibility to bid on at least one of the licenses applied for on Form 175, or else the applicant will not be eligible to participate in the auction. An applicant does not have to make an upfront payment to cover all licenses for which the applicant has applied on Form 175, but rather to cover the maximum number of bidding units that are associated with licenses on which the bidder wishes to place bids and hold high bids at any given time. 55 Letter from Margaret W. Wiener, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, to Patrick Shannon, Esq., Counsel for Lynch 3G Communications Corporation, DA 03- 1944, dated June 13, 2003. 56 Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules — Competitive Bidding Proceeding, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 12 FCC Rcd. 5686, 5697- 5698, ¶ 16 (1997) (“ Part 1 Order”). 57 Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15316- 17, ¶¶ 40- 42; 47 C. F. R. § 1.2106( a); see 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.2105( a)( 2)( xi). 58 Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15316- 17, ¶¶ 40- 42. 59 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 5. 22 20 In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, the Bureau proposed upfront payments on a license- by- license basis for both CEAs and DMAs. 60 Upfront payment calculations for DMA licenses are based upon CEA upfront payment calculations. With respect to CEAs we proposed to use the following formula: $0.025 * License Area Population 61 with a minimum of $1,000 per license. 62 With respect to DMAs, we proposed to calculate upfront payments as follows: From the total upfront payment amount for all CEA licenses ($ 7,139,300), subtract the upfront payments for CEA349- CEA354 ($ 104,700), for a remainder of $7,034,600. For each DMA (DMA001- DMA210), the upfront payment is calculated by multiplying $7,034,600 by a percentage that is the ratio of television households in that DMA to the total television households in DMA001- DMA210, with a minimum of $1,000 per license. 63 The upfront payment for DMA211 is set at the minimum upfront payment amount of $1,000. Upfront payments for DMA212- DMA214 are calculated as the sum of the proposed upfront payments for the corresponding CEA licenses. 64 We received no comments on this issue. 65 In light of the Commission’s decision to license MVDDS based on DMAs, the Bureau adopts its proposed upfront payments for DMA- based licenses. The specific upfront payments and bidding units for each license are set forth in Attachment A of this Public Notice. In calculating its upfront payment amount, an applicant should determine the maximum number of bidding units on which it may wish to be active (bidding units associated with licenses on which the bidder has the standing high bid from the previous round and licenses on which the bidder places a bid in the current round) in any single round, and submit an upfront payment covering that number of bidding units. In order to make this calculation, an applicant should add together the upfront payments for all licenses on which it seeks to bid in any given round. Applicants should check their calculations carefully, as there is no provision for increasing a bidder’s maximum 60 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 4. The Bureau proposed methods of calculating upfront payments for both CEAs and DMAs in order to minimize any delay in the auction process that might result if the Commission were to change the MVDDS geographic license areas from CEAs, which were adopted in the Second Report and Order. As explained above, the Commission decided to license MVDDS on the basis of DMAs, rather than CEAs, in the Third Report and Order, FCC 03- 152, at ¶¶ 8- 13. 61 All population figures are from the 2000 U. S. Census, U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. See Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF1) and July 3, 2001, News Releases covering the U. S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. 62 Results are rounded using our standard rounding procedure: results above $10,000 are rounded to the nearest $1,000; results below $10,000 but above $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $100; and results below $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $10. 63 Results are rounded using our standard rounding procedure: results above $10,000 are rounded to the nearest $1,000; results below $10,000 but above $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $100; and results below $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $10. 64 That is, the upfront payment for DMA212 equals the sum of the upfront payments for CEA352- CEA354; for DMA213, the sum of the upfront payments for CEA350 and CEA351; and for DMA214, the upfront payment for CEA349. 65 Northpoint argues in its Comments that the new service should be licensed on the basis of DMAs. Northpoint Comments at 5- 6. MDS America asserts in its Reply Comments that the Commission should use CEAs for MVDDS. MDS America Reply Comments at 2- 4. However, neither party addresses the question of the appropriate upfront payments for licenses based on either CEAs or DMAs. 23 21 eligibility after the upfront payment deadline. Example: Upfront Payments and Bidding Flexibility Market No. Market Name Bidding Units Upfront Payment DMA001 New York 480,000 $480,000 DMA004 Philadelphia 187,000 $187,000 If a bidder wishes to bid on both licenses in a round, it must have selected both on its FCC Form 175 and purchased at least 667,000 bidding units (480,000 + 187,000). If a bidder only wishes to bid on one, but not both, purchasing 480,000 bidding units would meet the requirement for either license. The bidder would be able to bid on either license, but not both at the same time. If the bidder purchased only 187,000 bidding units, it would have enough eligibility for the Philadelphia license but not for the New York license. Former defaulters should calculate their upfront payment for all licenses by multiplying the number of bidding units they wish to purchase by 1.5. In order to calculate the number of bidding units to assign to former defaulters, the Commission will divide the upfront payment received by 1.5 and round the result up to the nearest bidding unit. NOTE: An applicant may, on its FCC Form 175, apply for every applicable license being offered, but its actual bidding in any round will be limited by the bidding units reflected in its upfront payment. 4. Applicant’s Wire Transfer Information for Purposes of Refunds of Upfront Payments The Commission will use wire transfers for all Auction No. 53 refunds. To ensure that refunds of upfront payments are processed in an expeditious manner, the Commission is requesting that all pertinent information as listed below be supplied to the FCC. Applicants can provide the information electronically during the initial short- form filing window after the form has been submitted. Wire Transfer Instructions can also be manually faxed to the FCC, Financial Operations Center, Auctions Accounting Group, ATTN: Gail Glasser, at (202) 418- 2843 by December 8, 2003. All refunds will be returned to the payer of record as identified on the FCC Form 159 unless the payer submits written authorization instructing otherwise. For additional information, please call Gail Glasser at (202) 418- 0578. Name of Bank ABA Number Contact and Phone Number Account Number to Credit Name of Account Holder FCC Registration Number (FRN) Taxpayer Identification Number (see below) Correspondent Bank (if applicable) ABA Number Account Number (Applicants should also note that implementation of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires the FCC to obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) before it can disburse refunds.) Eligibility for refunds is discussed in Section V. H., below. 24 22 E. Auction Registration Approximately ten days before the auction, the FCC will issue a public notice announcing all qualified bidders for the auction. Qualified bidders are those applicants whose FCC Form 175 applications have been accepted for filing and have timely submitted upfront payments sufficient to make them eligible to bid on at least one of the licenses for which they applied. All qualified bidders are automatically registered for the auction. Registration materials will be distributed prior to the auction by two separate overnight mailings, one containing the confidential bidder identification number (BIN) and the other containing the SecurID cards, both of which are required to place bids. These mailings will be sent only to the contact person at the contact address listed in the FCC Form 175. Applicants that do not receive both registration mailings will not be able to submit bids. Therefore, any qualified applicant that has not received both mailings by noon on Wednesday, January 7, 2004, should contact the Auctions Hotline at (717) 338- 2888. Receipt of both registration mailings is critical to participating in the auction, and each applicant is responsible for ensuring it has received all of the registration material. Qualified bidders should note that lost bidder identification numbers or SecurID cards can be replaced only by appearing in person at the FCC headquarters, located at 445 12 th St., SW, Washington, DC 20554. Only an authorized representative or certifying official, as designated on an applicant’s FCC Form 175, may appear in person with two forms of identification (one of which must be a photo identification) in order to receive replacements. Qualified bidders requiring replacements must call technical support prior to arriving at the FCC. F. Remote Electronic Bidding The Commission will conduct this auction over the Internet, and telephonic bidding will be available as well. As a contingency plan, bidders may also dial in to the FCC Wide Area Network. Qualified bidders are permitted to bid telephonically or electronically. Each applicant should indicate its bidding preference – electronic or telephonic – on the FCC Form 175. In either case, each authorized bidder must have its own SecurID card, which the FCC will provide at no charge. Each applicant with one authorized bidder will be issued two SecurID cards, while applicants with two or three authorized bidders will be issued three cards. For security purposes, the SecurID cards and the FCC Automated Auction System user manual are only mailed to the contact person at the contact address listed on the FCC Form 175. Please note that each SecurID card is tailored to a specific auction; therefore, SecurID cards issued for other auctions or obtained from a source other than the FCC will not work for Auction No. 53. The telephonic bidding phone number will be supplied in the first overnight mailing, which also includes the confidential bidder identification number. Please note that the SecurID cards can be recycled, and we encourage bidders to return the cards to the FCC. We will provide pre- addressed envelopes that bidders may use to return the cards once the auction is over. G. Mock Auction All qualified bidders will be eligible to participate in a mock auction on Friday, January 9, 2004. The mock auction will enable applicants to become familiar with the FCC Automated Auction System prior to the auction. Participation by all bidders is strongly recommended. Details will be announced by public notice. IV. AUCTION EVENT The first round of bidding for Auction No. 53 will begin on Wednesday, January 14, 2004. The initial bidding schedule will be announced in a public notice listing the qualified bidders, which is released approximately 10 days 25 23 before the start of the auction. A. Auction Structure 1. Simultaneous Multiple Round Auction In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed to award all licenses in Auction No. 53 in a simultaneous multiple round auction. 66 We received no comments on this issue. We conclude that it is operationally feasible and appropriate to auction the MVDDS licenses through a simultaneous multiple round auction. Unless otherwise announced, bids will be accepted on all licenses in each round of the auction. This approach, we believe, allows bidders to take advantage of synergies that exist among licenses and is administratively efficient. 2. Maximum Eligibility and Activity Rules In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed that the amount of the upfront payment submitted by a bidder would determine the initial (maximum) eligibility (as measured in bidding units) for each bidder. 67 We received no comments on this issue. For Auction No. 53 we adopt this proposal. The amount of the upfront payment submitted by a bidder determines the initial eligibility (in bidding units) for each bidder. Note again that each license is assigned a specific number of bidding units equal to the upfront payment listed in Attachment A on a bidding unit per dollar basis. The total upfront payment defines the maximum number of bidding units on which the applicant will be permitted to bid and hold high bids in a round. As there is no provision for increasing a bidder’s eligibility after the upfront payment deadline, applicants are cautioned to calculate their upfront payments carefully. The total upfront payment does not affect the total dollar amount a bidder may bid on any given license. In order to ensure that the auction closes within a reasonable period of time, an activity rule requires bidders to bid actively throughout the auction, rather than wait until late in the auction before participating. Bidders are required to be active on a specific percentage of their current eligibility during each round of the auction. A bidder’s activity level in a round is the sum of the bidding units associated with licenses on which the bidder is active. A bidder is considered active on a license in the current round if it is either the high bidder at the end of the previous bidding round and does not withdraw the high bid in the current round, or if it submits a bid in the current round (see “Minimum Acceptable Bids and Bid Increments” in Section IV. B. 3, below). The minimum required activity is expressed as a percentage of the bidder’s current bidding eligibility, and increases by stage as the auction progresses. Because these procedures have proven successful in maintaining the pace of previous auctions (as set forth under “Auction Stages” in Section IV. A. 3 and “Stage Transitions” in Section IV. A. 4, below), we adopt them for Auction No. 53. 3. Auction Stages In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed to conduct the auction in three stages and employ an activity rule. We further proposed that, in each round of Stage One, a bidder desiring to maintain its current eligibility would be required to be active on licenses encompassing at least 80 percent of its current bidding 66 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 4. 67 Id. at 5. 26 24 eligibility. 68 In each round of Stage Two, a bidder desiring to maintain its current eligibility would be required to be active on at least 90 percent of its current bidding eligibility. Finally, we proposed that a bidder in Stage Three, in order to maintain its current eligibility, would be required to be active on 98 percent of its current bidding eligibility. We received no comments on this proposal. We adopt our proposals for the activity rules and stages. Below are the activity levels for each stage of the auction. The Bureau reserves the discretion to further alter the activity percentages before and/ or during the auction. Stage One: During the first stage of the auction, a bidder desiring to maintain its current eligibility will be required to be active on licenses encompassing at least 80 percent of its current bidding eligibility in each bidding round. Failure to maintain the required activity level will result in a reduction in the bidder’s bidding eligibility in the next round of bidding (unless an activity rule waiver is used). During Stage One, reduced eligibility for the next round will be calculated by multiplying the bidder’s current activity (the sum of bidding units of the bidder’s standing high bids and bids during the current round) by five- fourths (5/ 4). Stage Two: During the second stage of the auction, a bidder desiring to maintain its current eligibility is required to be active on 90 percent of its current bidding eligibility. Failure to maintain the required activity level will result in a reduction in the bidder’s bidding eligibility in the next round of bidding (unless an activity rule waiver is used). During Stage Two, reduced eligibility for the next round will be calculated by multiplying the bidder’s current activity (the sum of bidding units of the bidder’s standing high bids and bids during the current round) by ten-ninths (10/ 9). Stage Three: During the third stage of the auction, a bidder desiring to maintain its current eligibility is required to be active on 98 percent of its current bidding eligibility. Failure to maintain the required activity level will result in a reduction in the bidder’s bidding eligibility in the next round of bidding (unless an activity rule waiver is used). In this final stage, reduced eligibility for the next round will be calculated by multiplying the bidder’s current activity (the sum of bidding units of the bidder’s standing high bids and bids during the current round) by fifty-fortyninths (50/ 49). CAUTION: Since activity requirements increase in each auction stage, bidders must carefully check their current activity during the bidding period of the first round following a stage transition. This is especially critical for bidders that have standing high bids and do not plan to submit new bids. In past auctions, some bidders have inadvertently lost bidding eligibility or used an activity rule waiver because they did not re-verify their activity status at stage transitions. Bidders may check their activity against the required activity level by using the bidding system’s bidding module. Because the foregoing procedures have proven successful in maintaining proper pace in previous auctions, we adopt them for Auction No. 53. 4. Stage Transitions In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed that the auction would generally advance to the next stage (i. e., from Stage One to Stage Two, and from Stage Two to Stage Three) when the auction activity level, as measured by the percentage of bidding units receiving new high bids, is below 20 percent for three consecutive rounds of bidding in each Stage. We further proposed that the Bureau would retain the discretion to change stages unilaterally by announcement during the auction. This determination, we proposed, would be based on a variety of measures of bidder activity, including, but not limited to, the auction activity level, the percentages of licenses (as 68 Id. at 5. 27 25 measured in bidding units) on which there are new bids, the number of new bids, and the percentage increase in revenue. 69 We received no comments on this issue. We adopt our proposal. Thus, the auction will start in Stage One and will generally advance to the next stage (i. e., from Stage One to Stage Two, and from Stage Two to Stage Three) when, in each of three consecutive rounds of bidding, the high bid has increased on 20 percent or less of the licenses being auctioned (as measured in bidding units). In addition, the Bureau will retain the discretion to regulate the pace of the auction by announcement. This determination will be based on a variety of measures of bidder activity, including, but not limited to, the auction activity level, the percentages of licenses (as measured in bidding units) on which there are new bids, 70 the number of new bids, and the percentage increase in revenue. We believe that these stage transition rules, having proven successful in prior auctions, are appropriate for use in Auction No. 53. 5. Activity Rule Waivers and Reducing Eligibility In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed that each bidder in the auction would be provided five activity rule waivers. Bidders may use an activity rule waiver in any round during the course of the auction. 71 We received no comments on this issue. Based upon our experience in previous auctions, we adopt our proposal that each bidder be provided five activity rule waivers that may be used in any round during the course of the auction. Use of an activity rule waiver preserves the bidder’s current bidding eligibility despite the bidder’s activity in the current round being below the required level. An activity rule waiver applies to an entire round of bidding and not to a particular license. We are satisfied that our practice of providing five waivers over the course of the auction provides a sufficient number of waivers and flexibility to the bidders, while safeguarding the integrity of the auction. The FCC Automated Auction System assumes that bidders with insufficient activity would prefer to use an activity rule waiver (if available) rather than lose bidding eligibility. Therefore, the system will automatically apply a waiver (known as an “automatic waiver”) at the end of any round where a bidder’s activity level is below the minimum required unless: (1) there are no activity rule waivers available; or (2) the bidder overrides the automatic application of a waiver by reducing eligibility, thereby meeting the minimum requirements. If a bidder has no waivers remaining and does not satisfy the required activity level, the current eligibility will be permanently reduced, possibly eliminating the bidder from the auction. A bidder with insufficient activity that wants to reduce its bidding eligibility rather than use an activity rule waiver must affirmatively override the automatic waiver mechanism during the round by using the reduce eligibility function in the bidding system. In this case, the bidder’s eligibility is permanently reduced to bring the bidder into compliance with the activity rules as described in “Auction Stages” (see Section IV. A. 3 above). Once eligibility has been reduced, a bidder will not be permitted to regain its lost bidding eligibility. Finally, a bidder may proactively use an activity rule waiver as a means to keep the auction open without placing a bid. If a bidder submits a proactive waiver (using the proactive waiver function in the FCC Automated Auction System) during a round in which no bids are submitted, the auction will remain open and the bidder’s eligibility 69 Id. at 5. 70 When monitoring activity for determining when to change stages, we may consider the percentage of bidding units of the licenses receiving new high bids, excluding any FCC- held licenses. 71 Id. at 6. 28 26 will be preserved. However, an automatic waiver triggered during a round in which there are no new bids or withdrawals will not keep the auction open. Note: Once a proactive waiver is submitted during a round, that waiver cannot be unsubmitted. 6. Auction Stopping Rules For Auction No. 53, the Bureau proposed to employ a simultaneous stopping rule. 72 The Bureau also sought comment on a modified version of the stopping rule. The modified version of the stopping rule would close the auction for all licenses after the first round in which no bidder submits a proactive waiver, a withdrawal, or a new bid on any license on which it is not the standing high bidder. Thus, absent any other bidding activity, a bidder placing a new bid on a license for which it is the standing high bidder would not keep the auction open under this modified stopping rule. The Bureau further proposed retaining the discretion to keep the auction open even if no new bids or proactive waivers are submitted and no previous high bids are withdrawn in a round. In this event, the effect will be the same as if a bidder had submitted a proactive waiver. Thus, the activity rule will apply as usual, and a bidder with insufficient activity will either use an activity rule waiver (if it has any left) or lose bidding eligibility. In addition, we proposed that the Bureau reserve the right to declare that the auction will end after a designated number of additional rounds (“ special stopping rule”). If the Bureau invokes this special stopping rule, it will accept bids in the final round( s) only for licenses on which the high bid increased in at least one of the preceding specified number of rounds. We proposed to exercise this option only in circumstances such as where the auction is proceeding very slowly, where there is minimal overall bidding activity or where it appears likely that the auction will not close within a reasonable period of time. 73 Before exercising this option, the Bureau is likely to attempt to increase the pace of the auction by, for example, moving the auction into the next stage (where bidders will be required to maintain a higher level of bidding activity), increasing the number of rounds per day, and/ or adjusting the minimum acceptable bids and bid increments for the licenses. We received no comments concerning the auction stopping rules; therefore, we adopt the above proposals. Auction No. 53 will begin under the simultaneous stopping rule, and the Bureau will retain the discretion to invoke the other versions of the stopping rule. We believe that these stopping rules are most appropriate for Auction No. 53, because our experience in prior auctions demonstrates that the auction stopping rules balance the interests of administrative efficiency and maximum bidder participation. 7. Auction Delay, Suspension, or Cancellation In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed that, by public notice or by announcement during the auction, the Bureau may delay, suspend, or cancel the auction in the event of natural disaster, technical obstacle, evidence of an auction security breach, unlawful bidding activity, administrative or weather necessity, or for any other reason that affects the fair conduct of competitive bidding. 74 Because this approach has proven effective in resolving exigent circumstances in previous auctions, we adopt our proposed auction cancellation rules. By public notice or by announcement during the auction, the Bureau may 72 Id. at 12. 73 Id. 74 Id. at 6. 29 27 delay, suspend, or cancel the auction in the event of natural disaster, technical obstacle, evidence of an auction security breach, unlawful bidding activity, administrative or weather necessity, or for any other reason that affects the fair and competitive conduct of competitive bidding. In such cases, the Bureau, in its sole discretion, may elect to resume the auction starting from the beginning of the current round, resume the auction starting from some previous round, or cancel the auction in its entirety. Network interruption may cause the Bureau to delay or suspend the auction. We emphasize that exercise of this authority is solely within the discretion of the Bureau, and its use is not intended to be a substitute for situations in which bidders may wish to apply their activity rule waivers. B. Bidding Procedures 1. Round Structure The initial bidding schedule will be announced in the public notice listing the qualified bidders, which is released approximately 10 days before the start of the auction. Each bidding round is followed by the release of round results. Multiple bidding rounds may be conducted in a given day. Details regarding round results formats and locations will also be included in the qualified bidders public notice. The FCC has discretion to change the bidding schedule in order to foster an auction pace that reasonably balances speed with the bidders’ need to study round results and adjust their bidding strategies. The Bureau may increase or decrease the amount of time for the bidding rounds and review periods, or the number of rounds per day, depending upon the bidding activity level and other factors. 2. Reserve Price or Minimum Opening Bid Background. The Balanced Budget Act calls upon the Commission to prescribe methods by which a reasonable reserve price will be required or a minimum opening bid established when FCC licenses are subject to auction (i. e., because they are mutually exclusive), unless the Commission determines that a reserve price or minimum opening bid is not in the public interest. 75 Consistent with this mandate, the Commission directed the Bureau to seek comment on the use of a minimum opening bid and/ or reserve price prior to the start of each auction. 76 Among other factors, the Bureau must consider the amount of spectrum being auctioned, levels of incumbency, the availability of technology to provide service, the size of the geographic service areas, the extent of interference with other spectrum bands, and any other relevant factors that could have an impact on the spectrum being auctioned. 77 The Commission concluded that the Bureau should have the discretion to employ either or both of these mechanisms for future auctions. 78 In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, the Bureau proposed to establish minimum opening bids for Auction No. 53 and to retain discretion to lower the minimum opening bids. 79 Specifically, for Auction No. 53, the Bureau 75 See Balanced Budget Act, section 3002( a), 47 U. S. C. § 309( j)( 4)( F). 76 See Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules — Competitive Bidding Procedures, WT Docket No. 97- 82, Third Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 13 FCC Rcd. 375, 455- 456 ¶ 141 (1997)(“ Part 1 Third Report and Order”). 77 Id. 78 Id. 79 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 7. 30 28 proposed calculating minimum opening bids on a license- by- license basis for both CEAs and DMAs. 80 Minimum opening bid calculations for DMA licenses are based upon CEA minimum opening bid calculations. With respect to CEAs, we proposed to use the following formula: $0.05 * License Area Population 81 with a minimum of $1,000 per license. 82 With respect to DMAs, we proposed to calculate minimum opening bids as follows: From the total minimum opening bid amount for all CEA licenses ($ 14,283,500), subtract the minimum opening bids for CEA349- CEA354 ($ 210,500), for a remainder of $14,073,000. For each DMA (DMA001- DMA210), the minimum opening bid is calculated by multiplying $14,073,000 by a percentage that is the ratio of television households in that DMA to the total television households in DMA001- DMA210, with a minimum of $1,000 per license. 83 The minimum opening bid for DMA211 is set at the minimum amount of $1,000. Minimum opening bids for DMA212- DMA214 are calculated as the sum of the proposed minimum opening bids for the corresponding CEA licenses. 84 In the alternative, the Bureau sought comment on whether, consistent with the Balanced Budget Act, the public interest would be served by having no minimum opening bid or reserve price. 85 No comments were received. 86 In light of the Commission’s decision to license MVDDS based on DMAs, the Bureau adopts its proposed minimum opening bids for DMA- based licenses. The minimum opening bids we adopt for Auction No. 53 are reducible at the discretion of the Bureau. We emphasize, however, that such discretion will be exercised, if at all, sparingly and early in the auction, i. e., before bidders lose all waivers and begin to lose substantial eligibility. During the course of the auction, the Bureau will not entertain requests to reduce the minimum opening bid on specific licenses. 80 The Bureau proposed methods of calculating minimum opening bids for both CEAs and DMAs in order to minimize any delay in the auction process that might result if the Commission were to change the MVDDS geographic license areas from CEAs, which were adopted in the Second Report and Order. As explained above, the Commission decided to license MVDDS on the basis of DMAs, rather than CEAs, in the Third Report and Order, FCC 03- 152, at ¶¶ 15- 17. 81 All population figures are from the 2000 U. S. Census, U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. See Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF1) and July 3, 2001, News Releases covering the U. S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. 82 Results are rounded using our standard rounding procedure: results above $10,000 are rounded to the nearest $1,000; results below $10,000 but above $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $100; and results below $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $10. 83 Results are rounded using our standard rounding procedure: results above $10,000 are rounded to the nearest $1,000; results below $10,000 but above $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $100; and results below $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $10. 84 That is, the minimum opening bid for DMA212 equals the sum of the minimum opening bids for CEA352- CEA354; for DMA213, the sum of the minimum opening bids for CEA350 and CEA351; and for DMA214, the minimum opening bid for CEA349. 85 Auction 53 Comment Public Notice at 8. 86 Northpoint argues in its Comments that the new service should be licensed on the basis of DMAs. Northpoint Comments at 5- 6. MDS America asserts in its Reply Comments that the Commission should use CEAs for MVDDS. MDS America Reply Comments at 2- 4. However, neither party addresses the question of the appropriate minimum opening bids for licenses based on either CEAs or DMAs. 31 29 The specific minimum opening bids for each license available in Auction No. 53 are set forth in Attachment A. 3. Minimum Acceptable Bids and Bid Increments In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed to use a smoothing methodology to calculate minimum acceptable bids. 87 The smoothing methodology is designed to vary the increment for a given license between a maximum and minimum percentage based on the bidding activity on that license. This methodology allows the increments to be tailored to the activity on a license, decreasing the time it takes for licenses receiving many bids to reach their final prices. The formula used to calculate this increment is included as Attachment F. We proposed to initially set the weighting factor at 0.5, the minimum percentage increment at 0.1 (10%), and the maximum percentage increment at 0.2 (20%). Hence, at these initial settings, the percentage increment will fluctuate between 10% and 20% depending upon the number of bids for the license. We further proposed to retain the discretion to change the minimum acceptable bids and bid increments if circumstances so dictate. 88 We received no comment on this issue. In each round, each eligible bidder will be able to place a bid on a particular license for which it applied in any of nine different amounts. 89 The FCC Automated Auction System will list the nine bid amounts for each license. Once there is a standing high bid on a license, the FCC Automated Auction System will calculate a minimum acceptable bid for that license for the following round, as described in Attachment F. The difference between the minimum acceptable bid and the standing high bid for each license will define the bid increment — i. e., bid increment = (minimum acceptable bid) – (standing high bid). The nine acceptable bid amounts for each license consist of the minimum acceptable bid (the standing high bid plus one bid increment) and additional amounts calculated using multiple bid increments (i. e., the second bid amount equals the standing high bid plus two times the bid increment, the third bid amount equals the standing high bid plus three times the bid increment, etc.). At the start of the auction and until a bid has been placed on a license, the minimum acceptable bid for that license will be equal to its minimum opening bid. Corresponding additional bid amounts will be calculated using bid increments defined as the difference between the minimum opening bid times one plus the percentage increment, rounded as described in Attachment F, and the minimum opening bid — i. e., bid increment = (minimum opening bid)( 1 + percentage increment) {rounded} – (minimum opening bid). At the start of the auction and until a bid has been placed on a license, the nine acceptable bid amounts for each license consist of the minimum opening bid and additional amounts calculated using multiple bid increments (i. e., the second bid amount equals the minimum opening bid plus the bid increment, the third bid amount equals the minimum opening bid plus two times the bid increment, etc). In the case of a license for which the standing high bid has been withdrawn, 90 the minimum acceptable bid will equal the second highest bid received for the license. The additional bid amounts are calculated using the difference between the second highest bid times one plus the minimum percentage increment, rounded, and the second highest bid. 87 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 9- 11. 88 Id at 11. 89 Bidders must have sufficient eligibility to place a bid on the particular license. See Section III. D. 3 “Amount of Upfront Payment,” supra. 90 See Section IV. B. 6 “Bid Removal and Bid Withdrawal,” infra. 32 30 The Bureau retains the discretion to change the minimum acceptable bids and bid increments and the methodology for determining the minimum acceptable bids and bid increments if it determines that circumstances so dictate. The Bureau will do so by announcement in the FCC Automated Auction System. The Bureau may also use its discretion to adjust the minimum bid increment without prior notice if circumstances warrant. 4. High Bids At the end of each bidding round, the high bids will be determined based on the highest gross bid amount received for each license. A high bid from a previous round is sometimes referred to as a “standing high bid.” A “standing high bid” will remain the high bid until there is a higher bid on the same license at the close of a subsequent round. Bidders are reminded that standing high bids count towards bidding activity. 91 In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, the Bureau proposed to use a random number generator to select a high bid in the event of identical high bids on a license in a given round (i. e., tied bids). 92 No comments were received on the Bureau’s proposal. Therefore, the Bureau adopts its proposal. A Sybase® SQL pseudo- random number generator based on the L’Ecuyer algorithms will be used to assign a random number to each bid. 93 The tied bid having the highest random number will become the standing high bid. The remaining bidders, as well as the high bidder, will be able to submit a higher bid in a subsequent round. If no bidder submits a higher bid in a subsequent round, the high bid from the previous round will win the license. If any bids are received on the license in a subsequent round, the high bid will once again be determined on the highest gross bid amount received for the license. 5. Bidding During a round, a bidder may submit bids for as many licenses as it wishes (subject to its eligibility), withdraw high bids from previous bidding rounds, remove bids placed in the same bidding round, or permanently reduce eligibility. Bidders also have the option of making multiple submissions and withdrawals in each round. If a bidder submits multiple bids for a single license in the same round, the system takes the last bid entered as that bidder’s bid for the round. Bidders should note that the bidding units associated with licenses for which the bidder has removed or withdrawn its bid do not count towards the bidder’s activity at the close of the round. Please note that all bidding will take place remotely either through the FCC Automated Auction System or by telephonic bidding. (Telephonic bid assistants are required to use a script when entering bids placed by telephone. Telephonic bidders are therefore reminded to allow sufficient time to bid by placing their calls well in advance of the close of a round. Normally, five to ten minutes are necessary to complete a bid submission). There will be no on- site bidding during Auction No. 53. A bidder’s ability to bid on specific licenses in the first round of the auction is determined by two factors: (1) the licenses applied for on FCC Form 175 and (2) the upfront payment amount deposited. The bid submission screens will allow bidders to submit bids on only those licenses for which the bidder applied on its FCC Form 175. 91 See Section IV. A. 2- 5, supra. 92 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 11. 93 A description of the L’Ecuyer algorithms can be found in L’Ecuyer, P. (1999) “Good Parameters and Implementations for Combined Multiple Recursive Random Number Generators” Operations Research 47 (1), pp. 159- 164. A longer version of this paper and the C code for the algorithms can be found on the author’s website at http:// www. iro. umontreal. ca/~ lecuyer/ papers. html. 33 31 In order to access the bidding function of the FCC Automated Auction System, bidders must be logged in during the bidding round using the bidder identification number provided in the registration materials, and the password generated by the SecurID card. Bidders are strongly encouraged to print bid confirmations for each round after they have completed all of their activity for that round. In each round, eligible bidders will be able to place bids on a given license in any of nine different amounts. 94 For each license, the FCC Automated Auction System interface will list the nine acceptable bid amounts in a drop-down box. Bidders may use the drop- down box to select from among the nine bid amounts. The FCC Automated Auction System also includes an import function that allows bidders to upload text files containing bid information and a Type Bids function that allows bidders to enter specific licenses for filtering. Until a bid has been placed on a license, the minimum acceptable bid for that license will be equal to its minimum opening bid. Once there is a standing high bid on a license, the FCC Automated Auction System will calculate a minimum acceptable bid for that license for the following round, as described in Section IV. B. 3. Finally, bidders are cautioned to select their bid amounts carefully because, as explained in the following section, bidders that withdraw a standing high bid from a previous round, even if the bid was mistakenly or erroneously made, are subject to bid withdrawal payments. 6. Bid Removal and Bid Withdrawal In the Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice, we proposed bid removal and bid withdrawal procedures. 95 With respect to bid withdrawals, we proposed limiting each bidder to withdrawals in no more than two rounds during the course of the auction. The two rounds in which withdrawals are used, we proposed, would be at the bidder’s discretion. We received no comments on this issue. Procedures. Before the close of a bidding round, a bidder has the option of removing any bids placed in that round. By using the “remove bid” function in the bidding system, a bidder may effectively “unsubmit” any bid placed within that round. A bidder removing a bid placed in the same round is not subject to withdrawal payments. Removing a bid will affect a bidder’s activity for the round in which it is removed, i. e., a bid that is removed does not count toward bidding activity. This procedure, about which we received no comments, will enhance bidder flexibility during the auction, and therefore we adopt these procedures for Auction No. 53. Once a round closes, a bidder may no longer remove a bid. However, in later rounds, a bidder may withdraw standing high bids from previous rounds using the withdraw bid function in the FCC Automated Auction System (assuming that the bidder has not reached its withdrawal limit). A high bidder that withdraws its standing high bid from a previous round during the auction is subject to the bid withdrawal payments specified in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g). Note: Once a withdrawal is submitted during a round, that withdrawal cannot be unsubmitted. In previous auctions, we have detected bidder conduct that, arguably, may have constituted strategic bidding through the use of bid withdrawals. While we continue to recognize the important role that bid withdrawals play in an auction, i. e., reducing risk associated with efforts to secure various licenses in combination, we conclude that, for Auction No. 53, adoption of a limit on the use of withdrawals to two rounds per bidder is appropriate. By doing 94 Bidders must have sufficient eligibility to place a bid on the particular license. See Section III. D. 3 “Amount of Upfront Payment,” supra. 95 Auction No. 53 Comment Public Notice at 11- 12. 34 32 so we believe we strike a reasonable compromise that will allow bidders to use withdrawals. Our decision on this issue is based upon our experience in prior auctions, particularly the PCS D, E and F block and 800 MHz SMR auctions, and is in no way a reflection of our view regarding the likelihood of any speculation or “gaming” in this auction. The Bureau will therefore limit the number of rounds in which bidders may place withdrawals to two rounds. These rounds will be at the bidder’s discretion and there will be no limit on the number of bids that may be withdrawn in either of these rounds. Withdrawals during the auction will be subject to the bid withdrawal payments specified in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g). Bidders should note that abuse of the Commission’s bid withdrawal procedures could result in the denial of the ability to bid on a market. If a high bid is withdrawn, the minimum acceptable bid will equal the second highest bid received for the license, which may be less than, or equal to, in the case of tied bids, the amount of the withdrawn bid. 96 To set the additional bid amounts, the second highest bid also will be used in place of the standing high bid in the formula used to calculate bid increments. The Commission will serve as a “place holder” high bidder on the license until a new bid is submitted on that license. Calculation. Generally, the Commission imposes payments on bidders that withdraw high bids during the course of an auction. 97 If a bidder withdraws its bid and there is no higher bid in the same or subsequent auction( s), the bidder that withdrew its bid is responsible for the difference between its withdrawn bid and the high bid in the same or subsequent auction( s). 98 In the case of multiple bid withdrawals on a single license, within the same or subsequent auctions( s), the payment for each bid withdrawal will be calculated based on the sequence of bid withdrawals and the amounts withdrawn. No withdrawal payment will be assessed for a withdrawn bid if either the subsequent winning bid or any of the intervening subsequent withdrawn bids, in either the same or subsequent auctions( s), equals or exceeds that withdrawn bid. Thus, a bidder that withdraws a bid will not be responsible for any withdrawal payments if there is a subsequent higher bid in the same or subsequent auction( s). 99 This policy allows bidders most efficiently to allocate their resources as well as to evaluate their bidding strategies and business plans during an auction while, at the same time, maintaining the integrity of the auction process. The Bureau retains the discretion to scrutinize multiple bid withdrawals on a single license for evidence of anti- competitive strategic behavior and take appropriate action when deemed necessary. In the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, the Commission modified Section 1.2104( g)( 1) of the rules regarding assessments of interim bid withdrawal payments. 100 As amended, Section 1.2104( g)( 1) provides that in instances in which bids have been withdrawn on a license that is not won in the same auction, the Commission will assess an interim withdrawal payment equal to 3 percent of the amount of the withdrawn bids. The 3 percent interim payment will be applied toward any final bid withdrawal payment that will be assessed after subsequent auction of the license. Assessing an interim bid withdrawal payment ensures that the Commission receives a minimal 96 The Bureau retains the discretion to lower the minimum acceptable bid on such licenses in the next round or in later rounds. 97 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.2104( g), 1.2109. 98 The payment will equal the lower of: (1) the difference between the net withdrawn bid and the subsequent net winning bid; or (2) the difference between the gross withdrawn bid and the subsequent gross winning bid. See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g)( 1). 99 See following paragraph for discussion of interim bid withdrawal payments. 100 See Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15302, ¶ 15; 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g)( 1). 35 33 withdrawal payment pending assessment of any final withdrawal payment. The Part 1 Fifth Report and Order provides specific examples showing application of the bid withdrawal payment rule. 101 7. Round Results Bids placed during a round will not be made public until the conclusion of that bidding period. After a round closes, the Bureau will compile reports of all bids placed, bids withdrawn, current high bids, new minimum acceptable bids, and bidder eligibility status (bidding eligibility and activity rule waivers), and post the reports for public access. Reports reflecting bidders’ identities for Auction No. 53 will be available before and during the auction. Thus, bidders will know in advance of this auction the identities of the bidders against which they are bidding. 8. Auction Announcements The FCC will use auction announcements to announce items such as schedule changes and stage transitions. All FCC auction announcements will be available by clicking a link on the FCC Automated Auction System. 9. Maintaining the Accuracy of FCC Form 175 Information As noted in Section II. H., after the short- form filing deadline, applicants may make only minor changes to their FCC Form 175 applications. For example, permissible minor changes include deletion and addition of authorized bidders (to a maximum of three) and certain revision of exhibits. Applicants must make these modifications to their FCC Form 175 electronically and submit a letter, briefly summarizing the changes, by electronic mail to the attention of Margaret Wiener, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, at the following address: auction53@ fcc. gov. The electronic mail summarizing the changes must include a subject or caption referring to Auction No. 53. The Bureau requests that parties format any attachments to electronic mail as Adobe ® Acrobat ® (pdf) or Microsoft ® Word documents. A separate copy of the letter should be faxed to the attention of Kathryn Garland at (717) 338- 2850. Questions about other changes should be directed to Brian Carter of the Auctions and Industry Analysis Division at (202) 418- 0660. V. POST- AUCTION PROCEDURES A. Down Payments and Withdrawn Bid Payments After bidding has ended, the Commission will issue a public notice declaring the auction closed and identifying winning bidders, down payments and any withdrawn bid payments due. Within ten business days after release of the auction closing notice, each winning bidder must submit sufficient funds (in addition to its upfront payment) to bring its total amount of money on deposit with the Commission for Auction No. 53 to 20 percent of the net amount of its winning bids (gross bids less any applicable entrepreneur, small business, or very small business bidding credits). In addition, by the same deadline, all bidders must pay any bid withdrawal payments due under 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g), as discussed in “Bid Removal and Bid Withdrawal,” Section IV. B. 6. (Upfront payments are applied first to satisfy any withdrawn bid liability, before being applied toward down payments.) 101 See Part 1 Fifth Report and Order, 15 FCC Rcd at 15302, ¶ 15. 36 34 B. Final Payments Each winning bidder will be required to submit the balance of the net amount of its winning bids within 10 business days after the deadline for submitting down payments. C. Auction Discount Voucher On June 8, 2000, the Commission awarded Qualcomm, Inc., a transferable Auction Discount Voucher (“ ADV”) in the amount of $125,273,878.00. 102 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Commission’s Order, Qualcomm or its transferee could use this ADV, in whole or in part, to adjust a winning bid in any spectrum auction prior to June 8, 2003. 103 On April 28, 2003, the Bureau granted Qualcomm an additional year, until June 8, 2004, to use the remaining amount of its ADV. 104 Qualcomm transferred $10,848,000.00 of the ADV to a winning bidder in FCC Auction No. 35. The transferee used this amount to pay a portion of one of its winning bids in Auction No. 35. 105 Qualcomm also transferred $50,536,998.75 of the ADV to an assignee of broadband PCS licenses that used this amount to pay the unpaid principal and interest accrued on the licenses. 106 Qualcomm also transferred $4,020,165.65 of the ADV to an entity that made installment payments on behalf of several of the entity’s affiliates, that are broadband PCS C Block licensees. 107 On July 30, 2003, Qualcomm transferred an additional $4,020,165.65 of the ADV to the same entity. 108 Qualcomm also used $7,607,200.00 of its ADV to make its down payment on licenses it won in Auction No. 49. 109 The remaining $48,240,565.96 of Qualcomm’s ADV could be used to adjust winning bids in another FCC Auction, including Auction No. 53. 102 Qualcomm Incorporated Petition for Declaratory Ruling Giving Effect to the Mandate of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, WT Docket No. 99- 168, Order, 16 FCC Rcd 4042 (2000). 103 Id. See also Qualcomm Incorporated Petition for Waiver of Certain Terms and Conditions of its Auction Discount Voucher, WT Docket No. 02- 234, Order, 17 FCC Rcd 24311 (WTB 2002). 104 Qualcomm Incorporated Petition for Waiver of Auction Discount Voucher Terms and Conditions, WT Docket No. 02- 234, Order, 18 FCC Rcd 8048 (WTB 2003). 105 See Supplement to Public Notice Released August 22, 2001 By Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announcing It Is Prepared to Grant Four C and F Block Broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) Licenses Upon Full and Timely Payment, Auction Event No. 35, DA 01- 2071, Public Notice, 16 FCC Rcd 16025 (2001). All of the terms and conditions applicable to Qualcomm’s use of the ADV shall apply to its use by a transferee, except that a transferee may not transfer the ADV to an entity other than back to Qualcomm. See Qualcomm Incorporated Petition for Declaratory Ruling Giving Effect to the Mandate of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, WT Docket No. 99- 168, Order, 16 FCC Rcd 4042 (2000); see also Letter from Thomas J. Sugrue, Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, to Veronica M. Ahern, Attorney for Qualcomm Incorporated (December 22, 2000). 106 Letter from Mark Reger, Chief Financial Officer, Federal Communications Commission to Kevin J. Kelly, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Incorporated (May 23, 2003); Letter from Mark Reger, Chief Financial Officer, Federal Communications Commission to Kevin J. Kelly, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Incorporated (May 9, 2003). 107 Letter from Mark Reger, Chief Financial Officer, Federal Communications Commission to Kevin J. Kelly, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Incorporated (April 22, 2003). 108 Letter from Patricia Cappello, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Federal Communications Commission to Kevin J. Kelly, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Incorporated (July 11, 2003). 109 Letter from Patricia Cappello, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Federal Communications Commission to Kevin J. Kelly, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Incorporated (July 10, 2003). 37 35 D. Long- Form Application (FCC Form 601) Within ten business days after release of the auction closing notice, winning bidders must electronically submit a properly completed long- form application (FCC Form 601) and required exhibits for each license won through Auction No. 53. Winning bidders that are entrepreneurs, small businesses, or very small businesses must include an exhibit demonstrating their eligibility for entrepreneur, small business, or very small business bidding credits. See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2112( b). Further filing instructions will be provided to auction winners at the close of the auction. E. Ownership Disclosure Information Report (FCC Form 602) At the time it submits its long- form application (FCC Form 601), each winning bidder also must comply with the ownership reporting requirements as set forth in 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.913, 1.919, and 1.2112. We remind applicants that effective December 10, 2002, electronic filing of the Ownership Disclosure Information Report (FCC Form 602) became mandatory. 110 Accordingly, forms filed manually will not be accepted. Winning bidders without a current Form 602 already on file with the Commission must submit a properly completed Form 602 at the time they submit their long- form applications. Further filing instructions will be provided to auction winners at the close of the auction. F. 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 is eligible to receive a tribal land bidding credit as set forth in 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.2107 and 1.2110( f). 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). When filing the long- form application, the winning bidder will be required to advise the Commission whether it intends to seek a tribal land bidding credit, for each market won in the auction, by checking the designated box( es). After stating its intent to seek a tribal land bidding credit, the applicant will have 180 days from the close of the long- form filing window to amend its application to select the specific tribal lands to be served and provide the required tribal government certifications. 111 Licensees receiving a tribal land bidding credit are subject to performance criteria as set forth in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2110( f)( 3)( vi). 112 For additional information on the tribal land bidding credit, including how the amount of the credit is calculated, applicants should review the Commission’s rule making proceeding regarding tribal land bidding credits and 110 See “Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Reminds Filers of Effective Date for Mandatory Electronic Filing of FCC Form 602,” Public Notice, 17 FCC Rcd 22934 (2002); see also 47 C. F. R. § 1.913. 111 The Commission recently extended the period for winning bidders claiming a tribal land bidding credit to amend their long- form applications and provide the required tribal government certifications from 90 to 180 days. See Extending Wireless Telecommunications Services to Tribal Lands, WT Docket No. 99- 266, Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 4775, ¶ 10 (2003) (“ Tribal Lands Second Report and Order”). 112 See also 47 C. F. R. § 1.2110( f)( 3)( ii) & (vii). 38 36 related public notices. 113 Relevant documents can be viewed on the Commission’s web site by going to http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ auctions and clicking on the Tribal Land Credits link. G. Default and Disqualification Any high bidder that defaults or is disqualified after the close of the auction (i. e., fails to remit the required down payment within the prescribed period of time, fails to submit a timely long- form application, fails to make full payment, or is otherwise disqualified) will be subject to the payments described in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2104( g)( 2). In such event the Commission may re- auction the license or offer it to the next highest bidder (in descending order) at its final bid. 114 In addition, if a default or disqualification involves gross misconduct, misrepresentation, or bad faith by an applicant, the Commission may declare the applicant and its principals ineligible to bid in future auctions, and may take any other action that it deems necessary, including institution of proceedings to revoke any existing licenses held by the applicant. 115 H. Refund of Remaining Upfront Payment Balance All applicants that submit upfront payments but are not winning bidders for a license in Auction No. 53 may be entitled to a refund of their remaining upfront payment balance after the conclusion of the auction. No refund will be made unless there are excess funds on deposit from the applicant after any applicable bid withdrawal payments have been paid. All refunds will be returned to the payer of record, as identified on the FCC Form 159, unless the payer submits written authorization instructing otherwise. Bidders that drop out of the auction completely may be eligible for a refund of their upfront payments before the close of the auction. Qualified bidders that have exhausted all of their activity rule waivers, have no remaining bidding eligibility, and have not withdrawn a high bid during the auction must submit a written refund request. If you have completed the refund instructions electronically, then only a written request for the refund is necessary. If not, the request must also include wire transfer instructions, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and FCC Registration Number (FRN). Send refund request to: Federal Communications Commission Financial Operations Center Auctions Accounting Group Gail Glasser 445 12th Street, SW, Room 1- C863 Washington, DC 20554 113 See Tribal Lands Second Report and Order; see also Extending Wireless Telecommunications Services to Tribal Lands, WT Docket No. 99- 266, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 15 FCC Rcd 11794 (2000); “Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces Enhancements to the Universal Licensing System to Help Winning Bidders of FCC Auctions File for Tribal Land Bidding Credits,” Public Notice, 16 FCC Rcd 5355 (2001); “Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Releases Additional Information Regarding the Procedures for Obtaining a Tribal Lands Bidding Credit and List of Tribal Lands,” Public Notice, 15 FCC Rcd 24838 (2000); “Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces Availability of Bidding Credits For Providing Wireless Services To Qualifying Tribal Lands: Tribal Land Bidding Credits To Be Available Beginning In Auction No. 36 (800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Lower 80 Channels) And In Future Auctions,” Public Notice, 15 FCC Rcd 18351 (2000). 114 See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2109( b) and (c). 115 47 C. F. R. § 1.2109( d). 39 37 Bidders are encouraged to file their refund information electronically using the refund information portion of the FCC Form 175, but bidders can also fax their information to the Auctions Accounting Group at (202) 418- 2843. Once the information has been approved, a refund will be sent to the party identified in the refund information. NOTE: Refund processing generally takes up to two weeks to complete. Bidders with questions about refunds should contact Gail Glasser at (202) 418- 0578. Media Contact: For press inquiries: Meribeth McCarrick at (202) 418- 0654 Auctions and Industry Analysis Division: For legal questions: Brian Carter at (202) 418- 0660 For general auction questions: Roy Knowles or Barbara Sibert at (717) 338- 2888 Public Safety and Private Wireless Division: For legal questions: Jennifer Burton at (202) 418- 0680 For technical questions: Michael Pollak at (202) 418- 0680 or Steve Buenzow at (717) 338- 2646 40 A- 1 VI. ATTACHMENT A PLACE HOLDER 41 B- 1 VII. ATTACHMENT B FCC AUCTION SEMINAR REGISTRATION FORM Auction No. 53 The FCC will sponsor a one- day seminar for Auction No. 53 applicants. The seminar is free of charge and will provide information about pre- auction procedures, service and auction rules, conduct of the auction, and the FCC Automated Auction System. Representatives from each company may attend on a reservation basis, first- come first- served until room capacity is filled. The seminar will be held: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 Registration 9: 30 a. m. - 10: 00 a. m. Seminar 10: 00 a. m. - 2: 00 p. m. If hotel accommodations are needed Please contact 1- 888- 225- 5322 (option #2) for a list of hotels in the area ********************************** To register, complete the form below and return no later than Monday, October 27, 2003, by fax to: FCC Auction 53 Auctions Operations Branch 1270 Fairfield Road Gettysburg, PA 17325- 7245 FAX: 717- 338- 2850 Phone: 717- 338- 2888 _______________________________________________________ I/ We will attend the Auction No. 53 Seminar, scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, 2003. Name of attendee: _____________________________________________________ Name of attendee: _____________________________________________________ Company name: ______________________________________________________ Company address: _____________________________________________________ Phone:______________________________ Fax:_____________________________ 42 C- 3 1. Re- upload the attachment. 2. If the file still has not been converted properly, then simplify the formatting of the file. For example, if you are using a Table structure in a WordPerfect document, remove the Table structure and leave the contents of the table, then re- upload the attachment. After you have successfully re- uploaded an attachment, please delete the old, unreadable attachment files using their Delete links. 3. Completing the Submission Procedure Applicants must press the SUBMIT Application button on the Submission page to successfully submit their FCC Form 175. Pressing SUBMIT Application produces a Submission Confirmation page showing the assigned FCC Account Number. During each filing period, submitted applications may be updated and amended multiple times until the filing deadline. C. Reviewing FCC Form 175 Applications Once the FCC has completed the 175 Review process, you can view FCC Form 175 applications electronically by searching for them in the FCC database. Start your web browser and point it to either http:// auctions. fcc. gov/ (primary location) or http:// auctions2. fcc. gov/ (secondary location). Click the Form 175 Application & Search link, then click the SEARCH link at the top of the page. When the Form 175 Search page appears, select the search criteria you want and then click the Submit button. D. Help For technical assistance with using FCC software, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414- 1250 (V) or (202) 414- 1255 (TTY). The FCC Technical Support Hotline is generally available Monday through Friday from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. ET. All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded. You can also contact Technical Support via e- mail. To obtain the address, click the Support tab on the Form 175 Homepage. 45 D- 1 IX. ATTACHMENT D GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETION OF FCC FORM 175 AND EXHIBITS A. FCC Form 175 Because of the significance of the FCC Form 175 application to the auction, bidders should especially note the following: Applicant: Name given is used as your bidder name in the auction. Address: Applicants must provide a street address (not a Post Office box number) for the applicant, suitable for mail or private parcel delivery. Legal Classification: Applicants must indicate their legal classification. The FCC Form 175 requires the applicant to classify itself as an individual, joint venture, partnership, trust, corporation, consortium, association, limited liability corporation (LLC) or government entity. Applicant Status: Applicants are requested to indicate their status as a rural telephone company, minority- and/ or women- owned business, so that the FCC can monitor its performance in promoting economic opportunities for these designated entities. Contact person/ address: If the Commission wishes to communicate with the applicant by telephone or fax, those communications will be directed to the contact person identified on the FCC Form 175. Space is provided for an address, telephone number, fax number, and e- mail address. All written communication and registration information will be directed to the applicant’s contact person at the address specified on the FCC Form 175. Applicants must provide a street address for the contact person; no P. O. Box addresses may be used. Authorized Bidders: Applicants must list the name( s) of the person( s) (no more than three) authorized to represent them at the auction. Only those individuals listed on the FCC Form 175 will be authorized to place or withdraw bids for the applicant during the auction. Bidding Credit Eligibility: Applicants that qualify for an entrepreneur, small business or very small business bidding credit must select the applicable bidding credit (15 percent, 25 percent or 35 percent) in the bidding credit eligibility item on the Form 175. Applicants are advised that this is the sole opportunity applicants have to elect small business status and bidding credit level (if applicable). There is no opportunity to change the election once the short- form filing deadline passes on November 12, 2003. Electronic or Telephonic Bidding Options: Bidders may participate in the auction either electronically or telephonically, and must specify their preference. To participate in the auction, every authorized bidder must have a SecurID card, which the FCC will provide free of charge. License Selection: Applicants should select all licenses on which they want to be eligible to bid in the auction. Be advised that there is no opportunity to change this list once the short- form filing deadline passes on November 12, 2003. It is critically important that you confirm the licenses that you have selected because the auction system will not accept a bid on licenses for which an applicant has not applied on its FCC Form 175. 46 D- 2 The online Form 175 application provides filters that enable you to generate a list of licenses. Once you obtain this customized list, you can use it to select the licenses you are interested in. B. Exhibits and Attachments In addition to the FCC Form 175, applicants must submit additional information required by the FCC’s rules. If attachments are not uploaded, the FCC Form 175 submission process cannot be completed. Although the FCC does not require a particular format for this information, it has developed the following guidelines that will facilitate the processing of short- form applications. The FCC encourages applicants to submit this information using the following format. If you find that an attachment has not converted properly to Adobe PDF format, take the following steps: 1) Simplify the formatting of the file. For example, if using a Table structure in a WordPerfect document, remove the Table structure leaving the contents of the table, re- save the document. 2) Re- upload the attachment. 3) When the re- uploaded attachment has successfully converted, delete the failed attachment. NOTE: Applicants should not include sensitive information (i. e., TIN/ EIN) on any exhibits to their FCC Form 175s. Exhibit A -- Applicant Identity and Ownership Information: 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( ii) requires each applicant to fully disclose the real party or parties- in- interest in an exhibit to its FCC Form 175 application. Each member of an applicant applying to bid as an entrepreneur, small or very small business consortium must provide this information. The following information is required: 1. General Information Applicant Status Required Information General Partnership Name, citizenship, and address of all partners, and the share or interest participation of each partner Limited Partnership Name, citizenship, and address of each limited partner whose interest in the applicant is equal to or greater than 10 percent (as calculated according to the percentage of equity paid in and the percentage of distribution of profits and losses) Corporation Corporate name and address; name, title, and citizenship of a responsible officer or director Limited Liability Corporation Corporate name and address; name, address, and citizenship of all members whose interest in the applicant is equal to or greater than 10 percent (as calculated according to the percentage of equity paid in and the percentage of distribution of profits and losses) Trust Name, citizenship, and address of trustee None of the above Name, citizenship, title or other relation to the applicant, and address of a 47 D- 3 Applicant Status Required Information principal or other responsible person 2. Ownership Information Applicant Status Required Information All applicants Name, citizenship, and address of all controlling interests of the applicant as discussed in Section 1.2110 of the Commission’s rules. All applicants Name, citizenship, and address of all parties holding 10 percent or more of each class of stock, warrants, options or debt securities and the amount and percentage held. All applicants Name of all parties holding a 10 percent or greater interest in the applicant and the specific amount held. All applicants List of all parties holding indirect ownership interests in the applicant that equals 10 percent or more, as determined by successive multiplication of the ownership percentages in each link of the vertical ownership chain, except that if the ownership percentage for any link in the chain exceeds 50 percent or represents actual control, it shall be reported as if it were a 100 percent interest. Example. Company A owns 10% of Company B, which owns 60% of Company C, which owns 25% of the applicant. Company B’s interest in the applicant would be 25% (the same as Company C’s interest since Company B’s interest in Company C exceeds 50%), and Company A’s interest in the applicant would be 2.5% (0.1 * 0.25). Under the 10% attribution benchmark, Company B’s interest in the applicant must be reported on the applicant’s FCC Form 175 Exhibit A, while Company A’s interest in the applicant need not be reported. However, if Company A owned 40% of Company B in the above example, then Company A’s interest in the applicant would be 10% (0.4 * 0.25), and the applicant would need to report it on the applicant’s FCC Form 175 Exhibit A All applicants List of any FCC- regulated entity or applicant for an FCC license, in which a. the applicant; b. any party with a 10 percent or greater interest in the applicant; or c. a controlling interest (as discussed in Section 1.2110 of the Commission’s rules) owns a 10 percent or greater interest of the applicant or 10 percent or more of any class of stock, warrants, options or debt securities of the applicant. (See also 47 C. F. R. § 1.2110) This list must include a description of each such entities’ principal business and a description of 48 D- 4 Applicant Status Required Information each such entities’ relationship to the applicant. Example of a. The applicant owns 10 percent of Company A (an FCC regulated entity or an applicant for an FCC license). The applicant must list Company A on its FCC Form 175 Exhibit A and provide the required information. Example of b. Company A owns 10 percent of the applicant and 10 percent of Company B (an FCC regulated entity or an applicant for an FCC license). The applicant must list both Company A and Company B on its FCC Form 175 Exhibit A and provide the required information. Example of c. Company A owns 55% of the applicant and owns 10 percent of Company B (an FCC regulated entity or an Applicant for an FCC license). The applicant must list both Company A and Company B on its FCC Form 175 Exhibit A and provide the required information. Exhibit B – Agreements with Other Parties/ Joint Bidding Arrangements: Applicants must attach an exhibit identifying all parties with which they have entered into any agreements, arrangements or understandings which relate in any way to the licenses being auctioned, including any relating to the post-auction market structure. See 47 C. F. R. §1.2105( a)( 2)( viii). Be aware that pursuant to Certification (4) on the FCC Form 175, the applicant certifies that it will not enter into any explicit or implicit agreements or understandings of any kind with parties not identified in the application regarding bid amounts, bidding strategies, or the particular licenses on which the applicant will or will not bid. See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( a)( 2)( ix). To prevent collusion, the Commission’s Rules generally prohibit competing applicants from communicating concerning bids, bidding strategies, or settlements during the period between the initial short- form applications filing deadline and the deadline for down payments on licenses won in the auction. 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( c). Exhibit C – Status as an Entrepreneur, Small Business or Very Small Business: Applicants claiming status as an entrepreneur, small business or very small business must attach an exhibit providing the following information regarding this status. Entity Required Information Applicant Average annual gross revenues for the preceding three years set forth both separately (e. g., for each of the preceding three years individually) and in the aggregate (for all of the preceding three years combined). Certification that the average of the aggregated annual gross revenues for the preceding three years do not exceed the required limit, or providing average gross revenues for the 3- year period without providing the gross revenues for each of the preceding three years, is insufficient. Applicant’s Affiliates See 47 CFR §§ 1.2110, 1.2112. Same information required as discussed above. Applicant’s Controlling Interests Same information required as discussed above. 49 D- 5 Entity Required Information See 47 CFR §§ 1.2110, 1.2112. Example. The applicant had gross revenues of $500,000 in 2000, $1,000,000 in 2001, and $3,000,000 in 2002, with average gross revenues for that time period of $1,500,000. The applicant owns 60% of Company A, making Company A an affiliate of the applicant under Section 1.2110( c)( 5)( i)( B). Company B owns 52% of the applicant, making Company B a controlling interest of the applicant, as defined in Section II. D. 3 of this public notice. Company B owns 100% of Company C, making Company C an affiliate of the applicant’s controlling interest, under Section 1.2110( c)( 5)( i)( C). The applicant’s Exhibit C would look like this: Applicant Name 2000 gross revenues $ 500,000 2001 gross revenues $ 1,000,000 2002 gross revenues $ 3,000,000 Average gross revenues for the preceding 3 years $ 1,500,000 Company A (an affiliate of the applicant) 2000 gross revenues $ enter amount 2001 gross revenues $ enter amount 2002 gross revenues $ enter amount Average gross revenues for the preceding 3 years $ enter amount Company B (a controlling interest in the applicant) 2000 gross revenues $ enter amount 2001 gross revenues $ enter amount 2002 gross revenues $ enter amount Average gross revenues for the preceding 3 years $ enter amount Company C (an affiliate of the applicant’s controlling interest) 2000 gross revenues $ enter amount 2001 gross revenues $ enter amount 50 D- 6 Entity Required Information 2002 gross revenues $ enter amount Average gross revenues for the preceding 3 years $ enter amount NOTE: Each member of an applicant that is applying to bid as a consortium of entrepreneurs, small or very small businesses must provide this information and qualify for the claimed status. Exhibit D – Information Required of All Applicants Regarding Prior Defaults and Prior Delinquencies: Each applicant must include at Exhibit D a statement made under penalty of perjury indicating whether the applicant, its affiliates, its controlling interests, or the affiliates of its controlling interests have ever been in default on any Commission licenses or have ever been delinquent on any non- tax debt owed to any Federal agency. The applicant must provide such information for itself, for each of its controlling interests and affiliates, and for each affiliate of its controlling interests as defined by Section 1.2110 of the Commission’s rules (as amended in the Part 1 Fifth Report and Order). Exhibit E -- Information Requested of Designated Entities: Applicants owned by minorities or women, as defined in 47 C. F. R. § 1.2110( c), or that are rural telephone companies, may attach an exhibit regarding this status. This information, in conjunction with the information requested on the FCC Form 175, will assist the Commission in monitoring the participation of these “designated entities” in its auctions. Exhibit F -- Miscellaneous Information: Applicants should include in Exhibit F a certification that they, and all parties to the application, will come into compliance with Section 101.1412( a) of the Commission’s rules relating to eligibility restrictions for cable operators. Applicants wishing to submit additional information should also include it in Exhibit F. Waivers: Applicants requesting waiver of any rules must submit a statement of reasons sufficient to justify the waiver sought. See 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.3, 1.925. Certifications: Applicants should carefully read the list of certifications on the FCC Form 175. These certifications help to ensure a fair and competitive auction and require, among other things, disclosure to the Commission of certain information on applicant ownership and agreements or arrangements concerning the auction. Submission of an FCC Form 175 application constitutes a representation by the certifying official that he or she is an authorized representative of the applicant, has read the form’s instructions and certifications, and that the contents of the application and its attachments are true and correct. Submission of a false certification to the Commission may result in penalties, including monetary forfeitures, license forfeitures, ineligibility to participate in future auctions, and/ or criminal prosecution. Completeness: Applicants must submit all information required by the FCC Form 175 and by applicable rules. Failure to submit required information by the resubmission date will result in dismissal of the application and inability to participate in the auction. See 47 C. F. R. § 1.2105( b). NOTE: Applicants must press the “SUBMIT Application” button on the “Submission” page to successfully submit their FCC Form 175. Continuing Accuracy: Section 1.65 of the Commission's rules requires an applicant to maintain the accuracy and completeness of information furnished in its pending FCC Form 175 short- form application 51 D- 7 and exhibits and to notify the Commission within 30 days of any substantial change that may be of decisional significance to that application. Applicants are reminded that they consent to be audited in the certification section of the FCC Form 175 (see certification item number 6). Applicants are reminded that all information required in connection with applications to participate in spectrum auctions is necessary to determine the applicants’ qualifications, and as such will be available for public inspection. Required proprietary information may be redacted, or confidentiality may be requested, following the procedures set forth in 47 C. F. R. § 0.459. Such requests must be submitted by electronic mail to the attention of Margaret Wiener, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, at the following address: auction53@ fcc. gov, in which case the applicant must indicate in Exhibit F that it has filed a confidentiality request. Because the required information bears on applicants’ qualifications, the FCC envisions that confidentiality requests will not be routinely granted. The electronic mail summarizing the changes must include a subject or caption referring to Auction No. 53. The Bureau requests that parties format any attachments to electronic mail as Adobe ® Acrobat ® (pdf) or Microsoft ® Word documents. A separate copy of the letter should be faxed to the attention of Kathryn Garland at (717) 338- 2850. 52 F- 1 XI. ATTACHMENT F Minimum Acceptable Bids, Bid Increments, and the Smoothing Formula The FCC Automated Auction System calculates the minimum acceptable bids and bid increments for each license with a standing high bid in each round of the auction based on all bidding activity for the license. For this auction, the Commission will use a standard smoothing methodology to calculate minimum acceptable bids and bid increments. The smoothing formula calculates minimum acceptable bids by first calculating a percentage increment, not to be confused with the bid increment, for each license based on a weighted average of the activity received on each license in all previous rounds. This methodology tailors the percentage increment for each license based on activity, rather than setting a global increment for all licenses. In a given round, the calculation of the percentage increment for each license is made at the end of the previous round. The computation is based on an activity index, which is calculated as the weighted average of the activity in that round and the activity index from the prior round. The activity index at the start of the auction (round 0) will be set at 0. The current activity index is equal to a weighting factor times the number of new bids received on the license in the most recent bidding round plus one minus the weighting factor times the activity index from the prior round. The activity index is then used to calculate a percentage increment by multiplying a minimum percentage increment by one plus the activity index with that result being subject to a maximum percentage increment. The Commission will initially set the weighting factor at 0.5, the minimum percentage increment at 0.1 (10%), and the maximum percentage increment at 0.2 (20%). Equations Ai = (C * Bi) + ( (1- C) * Ai- 1) Ii+ 1 = smaller of ( (1 + Ai) * N) and M X i+ 1 = Ii+ 1 * Yi where, Ai = activity index for the current round (round i) C = activity weight factor Bi = number of bids in the current round (round i) Ai- 1 = activity index from previous round (round i- 1), A0 is 0 Ii+ 1 = percentage increment for the next round (round i+ 1) N = minimum percentage increment or percentage increment floor M = maximum percentage increment or percentage increment ceiling X i+ 1 = dollar amount associated with the percentage increment Yi = high bid from the current round Under the smoothing methodology, once a bid has been received on a license, the minimum acceptable bid for that license in the following round will be the high bid from the current round plus the dollar amount associated with the percentage increment, with the result rounded to the nearest thousand if it is over ten thousand, to the nearest hundred if it is under ten thousand but over one thousand, or to the nearest ten if it is below one thousand. 55 F- 2 Examples License 1 C= 0.5, N = 0.1, M = 0.2 Round 1 (2 new bids, high bid = $1,000,000) 1. Calculation of percentage increment for round 2 using the smoothing formula: A1 = (0.5 * 2) + (0.5 * 0) = 1 I2 = The smaller of ( (1 + 1) * 0.1) = 0.2 or 0.2 (the maximum percentage increment) 2. Calculation of dollar amount associated with the percentage increment for round 2 (using I2 from above): X2 = 0.2 * $1,000,000 = $200,000 3. Minimum acceptable bid for round 2 = $1,200,000 Round 2 (3 new bids, high bid = $2,000,000) 1. Calculation of percentage increment for round 3 using the smoothing formula: A2 = (0.5 * 3) + (0.5 * 1) = 2 I3 = The smaller of ( (1 + 2) * 0.1) = 0.3 or 0.2 (the maximum percentage increment) 2. Calculation of dollar amount associated with the percentage increment for round 3 (using I3 from above): X3 = 0.2 * $2,000,000 = $400,000 3. Minimum acceptable bid for round 3 = $2,400,000 Round 3 (1 new bid, high bid = $2,400,000) 1. Calculation of percentage increment for round 4 using the smoothing formula: A3 = (0.5 * 1) + (0.5 * 2) = 1.5 I4 = The smaller of ( (1 + 1.5) * 0.1) = 0.25 or 0.2 (the maximum percentage increment) 2. Calculation of dollar amount associated with the percentage increment for round 4 (using I4 from above): X4 = 0.2 * $2,400,000 = $480,000 3. Minimum acceptable bid for round 4 = $2,880,000 As stated above, until a bid has been placed on a license, the minimum acceptable bid for that license will be equal to its minimum opening bid. The additional bid amounts are calculated using the difference between the minimum opening bid times one plus the minimum percentage increment, rounded as described above, and the minimum opening bid. That is, I = (minimum opening bid)( 1 + N){ rounded}- (minimum opening bid). Therefore, when N equals 0.1, the first additional bid amount will be approximately ten percent higher than the minimum opening bid; the second, twenty percent; the third, thirty percent; etc. 56 F- 3 In the case of a license for which the standing high bid has been withdrawn, the minimum acceptable bid will equal the second highest bid received for the license. The additional bid amounts are calculated using the difference between the second highest bid times one plus the minimum percentage increment, rounded, and the second highest bid. 57 G- 1 XII. ATTACHMENT G SUMMARY LISTING OF DOCUMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION AND THE WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ADDRESSING APPLICATION OF THE ANTI- COLLUSION RULES A. Commission Decisions: Second Report and Order in PP Docket No. 93- 253, FCC 94- 61, 9 FCC Rcd 2348, 2386- 2388, ¶¶ 221- 226 (1994). Fifth Report and Order in PP Docket No. 93- 253, FCC 94- 178, 9 FCC Rcd 5532, 5570- 5571, ¶¶ 91- 92 (1994). Fourth Memorandum Opinion and Order in PP Docket No. 93- 253, FCC 94- 264, 9 FCC Rcd 6858, 6866- 6869, ¶¶ 47- 60 (1994). Second Memorandum Opinion and Order in PP Docket No. 93- 253, FCC 94- 215, 9 FCC Rcd 7245, 7253- 7255, ¶¶ 48- 55 (1994). Memorandum Opinion and Order in PP Docket No. 93- 253, FCC 94- 295, 9 FCC Rcd 7684, 7687- 7689 ¶¶ 8- 12 (1994). Commercial Realty St. Pete, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 10 FCC Rcd 4277 (1995); Commercial Realty St. Pete, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 11 FCC Rcd 15374 (1996). Applications of Mercury PCS II, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 12 FCC Rcd 17970 (1997); Application of Mercury PCS II, L. P. for Facilities in the Broadband PCS D, E and F Blocks, Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 98- 203, 13 FCC Rcd. 23,755 (1998) Amendment of Part 1of the Commission’s rules -- Competitive Bidding Procedures, Allocation of Spectrum Below 5 GHz Transferred from Federal Government Use, 4660- 4685 MHz, WT Docket No. 97- 82, ET Docket No. 94- 32, FCC 97- 413, Third Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 13 FCC Rcd 374, 463- 469, ¶¶ 155- 166 (1997). Application of US West Communications, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 13 FCC Rcd 8286 (1998); Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture of US West Communications, Inc., Order, FCC 99- 90 (May 7, 1999). Application of Western PCS BTA I Corporation, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, FCC 98- 42 (March 16, 1998); Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture of Western PCS BTA 1 Corporation, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 14 FCC Rcd 21571, 21577- 78, ¶ 20 (1999). Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules— Competitive Bidding Procedures, Seventh Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 17546 (2001). 58 G- 2 B. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Decisions: Amendment of Parts 21 and 74 of the Commission’s rules with Regard to Filing Procedures in the Multipoint Distribution Service and in the Instructional Television Fixed Service, Order, 11 FCC Rcd 9655 (1995). Applications of GWI PCS, Inc. For Authority to Construct and Operate Broadband PCS Systems Operating on Frequency Block C, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 12 FCC Rcd 6441 (1997). Applications of Mercury PCS II, LLC, For Facilities in the Broadband Personal Communications Services in the D, E, and F Blocks, Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 18093 (1997). Applications of High Plains Wireless, L. P., For Authority to Construct and Operate Broadband PCS Systems on Frequency Blocks D, E, and F, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 12 FCC Rcd 19627 (1997). Applications of Mercury PCS II, LLC, For Facilities in the Broadband Personal Communications Services in the D, E, and F Blocks, Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 18093 (1997); Applications of Mercury PCS II, LLC for Authority to Construct and Operate Broadband PCS Systems on Frequency Blocks D, E, and F, Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 97- 1782, 13 FCC Rcd 21316 (1997). Application of Nevada Wireless for a License to Provide 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio Service in the Farmington, NM- CO Economic Area (EA155) Frequency Band A, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 13 FCC Rcd. 11,973 (1998). 1. Public Notices: Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Clarifies Spectrum Auction Anti- Collusion Rules, Public Notice, 11 FCC Rcd 9645 (1995). FCC Staff Clarifies Application of Anti- Collusion Rule to Broadband PCS ‘C’ Block Reauction, Public Notice, 11 FCC Rcd 7031 (1996). Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Provides Guidance on the Anti- Collusion Rule for D, E and F Block Bidders, Public Notice, 11 FCC Rcd 10134 (1996). Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Responds to Questions About the Local Multipoint Distribution Service Auction, Public Notice, DA 98- 37 (rel. January 9, 1998). 2. Letters from the Office of General Counsel and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: Letter to Gary M. Epstein and James H. Barker from William E. Kennard, General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission (released October 25, 1994). Letter to Alan F. Ciamporcero from William E Kennard, General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission (released October 25, 1996). 59 G- 3 Letter to R. Michael Senkowski from Rosalind K. Allen, Acting Chief, Commercial Radio Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (released December 1, 1994). Letter to Leonard J. Kennedy from Rosalind K. Allen, Acting Chief, Commercial Radio Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (released December 14, 1994). Letter to Jonathan D. Blake and Robert J. Rini from Kathleen O’Brien Ham, Chief, Auctions Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, DA 95- 2404 (released November 28, 1995). Letter to Mark Grady from Kathleen O’Brien Ham, Chief, Auctions Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 11 FCC Rcd 10895 (1996). Letter to David L. Nace from Kathleen O’Brien Ham, Chief, Auctions Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 11 FCC Rcd 11363 (1996). Letter to Elliott J. Greenwald from Christopher J. Wright, General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission (released April 6, 1998). Letter to John Reardon, Esq., Secretary to the Board of Directors and General Counsel, from Amy J. Zoslov, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 13 FCC Rcd. 17,877 (1998). Letter to Robert Pettit, Wiley, Rein & Fielding from Margaret W. Wiener, Chief, Auctions and Industry Analysis Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, DA 00- 2905 (released December 26, 2000). 3. Civil Actions Initiated by U. S. Department of Justice: U. S. v. Omnipoint Corp., Proposed Final Judgments and Competitive Impact Statements, Department of Justice, 63 FR 65,228 (November 25, 1998). “Justice Department Sues Three Firms Over FCC Auction Practices,” Press Release, U. S. Department of Justice (November 10, 1998). Complaint, U. S. v. Omnipoint Corp., No. 1: 98CV02750 (D. D. C. November 10, 1998). Complaint, U. S. v. Mercury PCS II, L. L C., No. 1: 98CV02751 (D. D. C. November 10, 1998). Complaint, U. S. v. 21st Century Bidding Corp., No. 1: 98CV02752 (D. D. C. November 10, 1998). C. Enforcement Bureau Decisions In re Application of Star Wireless, LLC for C Block Facilities in the 710- 716 and 740- 746 MHz Bands, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, DA 03- 2722 (released August 27, 2003). In re Application of Northeast Communications of Wisconsin, Inc. for C Block Facilities in the 710- 716 and 740- 746 MHz Bands, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, DA 03- 2723 (released August 27, 2003). 60 G- 4 How to Obtain Copies of the Anti- Collusion Decisions: Many of the documents listed in this attachment can be retrieved from the following Commission web site: http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ auctions/ anticollusion The documents may be located by using our search engine (select the link “search”). Documents retrieved from the web site are available in various formats including Word, WordPerfect, Acrobat Reader, Excel, and ASCII Text. To review a document in its entirety, including footnotes, it is necessary to access the document in WordPerfect, MS Word, or Acrobat Reader. Additionally, all of the documents can be ordered in hard copy for a fee from the Commission’s contractor, Qualex International at (202) 863- 2893. 61