PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 14-180 Released: February 11, 2014 INCENTIVE AUCTION TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES AGENDA FOR WORKSHOP ON FEASIBILITY CHECKING DURING REPACKING PROCESS GN Docket No. 12-268 On January 9, 2014, the Commission’s Incentive Auction Task Force released a Public Notice detailing methodology that could be used to perform “feasibility checks” during the repacking component of the upcoming incentive auction. 1 In the Feasibility Checking PN, we announced that a workshop would be held in February, where our outside experts could provide further detail and answer questions from interested parties. The workshop will focus on methods of solving a complex engineering problem: how to quickly assess the feasibility of assigning channels to a set of television stations in a manner that does not violate certain technical constraints. The ability to perform feasibility checks rapidly during each round of bidding will be necessary if the Commission ultimately decides to use a descending clock for the reverse auction component of the incentive auction. 2 Presenting will be Brett Tarnutzer, Assistant Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and one of our outside experts, Dr. Kevin Leyton-Brown, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. Topics to be covered include: ? The role of Feasibility Checking in a reverse auction, and the need for speed and certainty. ? The different types of mathematical solvers and approaches to using these in an auction. ? Test objectives, methodology, and initial results of simulated feasibility checks . 1 Incentive Auction Task Force Releases Information Related to Repacking; Announces Workshop/Webinar to Provide Additional Detail, Public Notice, DA 14-3 (Jan. 9, 2014) (“Feasibility Checking PN”). 2 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-96, §§ 6402, 6403, 125 Stat. 156 (2012) (“Spectrum Act”). The workshop is scheduled for Friday, February 21, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EST). The workshop will be held in the Commission Meeting Room at FCC Headquarters, located at 445 12 th Street, SW, Room TW-C305, Washington, DC 20554, and is free and open to the public. Following the panel discussion, there will be time dedicated for panelists to answer questions from the audience. The tentative agenda is outlined below: Tentative Agenda 10:00am Opening Remarks Review of the Feasibility Data Public Notice Test Objectives Test Data 10:20am Methodologies for Solving Satisfiability Problems Test Results 11:00am Discussion and Moderated Q&A 12:00pm Adjourn Attendance. This forum is open to the public. All attendees are advised to arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the workshop to allow time to go through our security process. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register by submitting their names and company affiliations via email to Cecilia Sulhoff (Cecilia.Sulhoff@fcc.gov) in order to expedite the check-in process the day of the event. Please use “LEARN Workshop Morning” as the subject line in your email. Webcast and WebEx. The forum will be webcast at http://www.fcc.gov/live. Additionally, for those unable to attend in person, please RSVP to Cecilia Sulhoff (Cecilia.Sulhoff@fcc.gov) for WebEx login information. Accessibility Information. To request information in accessible formats (computer diskettes, large print, audio recording, and Braille), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the FCC’s consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). For further information, contact A.J. Glusman at (202) 418-1425 or via e-mail at AJ.Glusman@fcc.gov. Press contact: Cecilia Sulhoff at (202) 418-0587. The Public Notice and Technical Appendix, as well as additional information about the broadcast television incentive auction, can be found at: http://www.fcc.gov/learn. -FCC-