PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 445 TWELFTH STREET, S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 12-998 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: June 26, 2012 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON THE IMPACT ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS - SPECTRUMCO AND VERIZON WIRELESS - COX TRANSACTIONS OF THE APPLICATIONS OF VERIZON WIRELESS AND T-MOBILE TO ASSIGN AWS-1 LICENSES WT Docket No. 12-4 Comments Due: July 10, 2012 On January 11, 2012, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (“WTB”) opened WT Docket No. 12-4 to evaluate applications for assignment of Advanced Wireless Service (“AWS-1”) licenses from SpectrumCo, LLC (“SpectrumCo”) and Cox TMI Wireless, LLC (“Cox”) to Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (“Verizon Wireless”)(“Verizon Wireless - SpectrumCo and Verizon Wireless - Cox Applications”). 1 On January 19, 2012, WTB established a pleading cycle and consolidated these applications for purposes of the Commission’s review. 2 On June 25, 2012, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile License LLC (“T-Mobile”) filed five applications requesting Commission approval for the full and partial assignments of AWS-1 licenses by and between T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless (“T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless Applications”). 3 The licenses that Verizon Wireless would assign to T-Mobile include 47 licenses (covering all or portions of 98 CMAs) that Verizon Wireless has proposed to acquire from SpectrumCo, Cox, and Leap Wireless International Inc. (“Leap Wireless”). 4 T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless state that the assignments proposed in the T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless Applications “will all occur simultaneously upon closing, contingent upon regulatory approval of the instant transaction and regulatory approval and closing of the 1 Commission Opens Docket for Proposed Assignment of Licenses to Verizon Wireless from SpectrumCo and Cox TMI Wireless, LLC, and Designates These Applications as Permit-But-Disclose Under the Commission’s Ex Parte Rules, WT Docket No. 12-4, Public Notice, 27 FCC Rcd 222 (Jan. 11, 2012). 2 Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless, SpectrumCo, LLC and Cox TMI Wireless, LLC Seek FCC Consent to Assignment of AWS-1 Licenses, WT Docket No. 12-4, Public Notice, 27 FCC Rcd 360 (Jan. 19, 2012) (Verizon Wireless - SpectrumCo Cox Pubic Notice). 3 T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless Applications, File No. 0005272585. See also Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile License LLC Seek FCC Consent to the Assignment of Advanced Wireless Service Licenses, WT Docket No. 12-175, DA 12-999 (rel. June 26, 2012). 4 See Verizon Wireless - SpectrumCo Cox Pubic Notice; Verizon Wireless and Leap Wireless Seek FCC Consent to the Exchange of Lower 700 MHz Band A Block, AWS-1, and Personal Communications Service Licenses, Public Notice, 26 FCC Rcd 16810 (Dec. 14, 2011). SpectrumCo-Cox Assignments and the Leap Assignments.” 5 Given the overlap in licenses in the T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless Applications and this proceeding, we are establishing a 14-day period in which parties can comment on the impact of the applications on the transactions in this docket and stopping the clock during that period. 6 Copies of the applications can be found on the FCC’s website for the T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless transaction: http://transition.fcc.gov/transaction/tmobile-verizonwireless.html#appdocs. Such comments should focus on any impact of those newly filed applications on the spectrum aggregation issues raised in the context of this docket, and not repeat arguments already raised. Interested parties must file comments no later than July 10, 2012. All filings concerning matters referenced in this Public Notice should refer to WT Docket No. 12-4. Under the Commission’s current procedures for the submission of filings and other documents, 7 submissions in this matter may be filed electronically (i.e., through ECFS) or by hand delivery to the Commission. ? If filed by ECFS, 8 comments shall be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. ? If filed by paper, the original and four copies of each filing must be filed by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12 th Street, S.W., Room TW-A325, Washington, D.C. 20554. The filing hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. One copy of each comment must be delivered electronically, by e-mail or facsimile, or if delivered as paper copy, by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first- class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (according to the procedures set forth above for paper filings), to: (1) the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., at FCC@BCPIWEB.COM or (202) 488-5563 (facsimile); (2) Sandra Danner, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications 5 T-Mobile/ Verizon Wireless Applications, File No. 0005272585, Public Interest Statement, at 2 (June. 25, 2012). 6 WTB issued a letter today stopping for 14 days the Commission's informal 180-day clock for the proposed Verizon Wireless - SpectrumCo and Verizon Wireless - Cox transactions in WT Docket 12-4. See Letter from Rick Kaplan, Federal Communications Commission, Senior Counsel to the Chairman for Transactions to Michael Samsock, Verizon Wireless, David Don, SpectrumCo, LLC, Lynn Charytan, Comcast Corporation, Steven Teplitz, Time Warner Cable Inc., Cody Harrison, Sabin, Bermant & Gould LLP, Bright House Networks, LLC, and Jennifer Hightower, Cox TMI Wireless, LLC, WT Docket No. 12-4 (June 26, 2012). 7 See FCC Announces Change in Filing Location for Paper Documents, Public Notice, 24 FCC Rcd 14312 (2009). 8 See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998). Bureau (WTB), at sandra.danner@fcc.gov or (202) 418-7247 (facsimile); (3) Joel Taubenblatt, Spectrum and Competition Policy Division, WTB, at joel.taubenblatt@fcc.gov or (202) 418-7447 (facsimile); and (4) Jim Bird, Office of General Counsel, at TransactionTeam@fcc.gov or (202) 418-1234 (facsimile). Any submission that is e-mailed to Best Copy and Printing, Sandra Danner, Joel Taubenblatt, and Jim Bird should include in the subject line of the e-mail: (1) WT Docket No. 12-4; (2) the name of the submitting party; and (3) a brief description or title identifying the type of document being submitted (e.g., WT Docket No. 12-4, [name of submitting party], Notice of Ex Parte Communication). Copies of documents filed in this matter may be obtained from Best Copy and Printing, Inc., in person at 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554, via telephone at (202) 488- 5300, via facsimile at (202) 488-5563, or via e-mail at FCC@BCPIWEB.COM. The documents also are available for public inspection and copying during normal reference room hours at the following Commission office: FCC Reference Information Center, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554. The documents also are available electronically through ECFS, which may be accessed on the Commission’s Internet website at http://www.fcc.gov. Information regarding the proposed transaction is also available on the Internet website the FCC has established for this transaction, http://www.fcc.gov/transaction/verizon-spectrumcocox.html, which contains an unofficial listing and electronic copies of materials in this matter. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY). Contact the FCC to request reasonable accommodations for filing comments (accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.) by e-mail: fcc504@fcc.gov; phone: (202) 418-0530; or TTY: (202) 418-0432. For further information, contact Joel Taubenblatt, Spectrum and Competition Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-1513 or Sandra Danner, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-0916. -FCC-