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 COMMISSIONER  HAROLD  FURCHTG0TT-  ROTH 
 DISMAYED  AT  FURTHER  DELAY  OF  700  MHz  AUCTION 


 For  Immediate  Release  Press  Contact  –  Bryan  Tramont  January  31,  2001  202-  418-  2000 


 As  I  have  now  said  on  four  previous  occasions,  I  believe  Congress  spoke  clearly 
 when  it  required  this  Commission  to  auction  this  700  MHz  spectrum  so  as  to  “ensure[] 
 that  all  proceeds  of  such  bidding  are  deposited  .  .  .  not  later  than  September  30,  2000.”  1 
 As  I  noted  last  May,  there  was  no  legal  or  logistical  basis  for  delaying  the  auction  in  the 
 first  place.  Each  delay  only  brings  the  agency  further  out  of  compliance  with  the  law. 
 Thus,  I  do  not  believe  any  subsequent  events  should  form  the  basis  for  further  delay.  I 
 am  disappointed  that  the  Commission  has  decided  to  postpone  this  auction  once  again. 


 It  is  my  sincere  hope  that  this  will  be  the  final  such  delay.  Indeed,  each 
 postponement  points  out  significant  Commission  shortcomings:  non-  compliance  with  the 
 law,  poor  auction  schedule  management,  and  the  repeated  disruption  of  public 
 expectations.  With  each  succeeding  delay  the  credibility  of  our  spectrum  and  auction 
 management  policies  becomes  more  suspect.  All  of  these  factors  underscore  the  need  for 
 this  delay  to  be  the  final  chapter  in  this  continuing  saga. 


 1  Pub.  Law  106-  113,  113  Stat.  1501,  Appendix  E,  Section  213.  See  also  145  Cong.  Rec.  at  H12494-  94, 
 H12501  (Nov.  17,  1994),  “Making  consolidated  appropriations  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  September  30, 
 2000,  and  for  other  purposes.”  See  Separate  Statements  of  Commissioner  Harold  Furchtgott-  Roth 
 regarding  various  delays  in  the  700  MHz  auction  (May  2,  2000)  and  (June  22,  2000)  and  Joint  Statements 
 with  Commissioner  Gloria  Tristani,  (July  31,  2000)  and  (September  12,  2000). 
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