*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 50825.doc* NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th Street, S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D. C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY: 1- 888- 835- 5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: August 5, 2005 Chelsea Fallon: (202) 418- 7991 FCC MODIFIES ADVANCED WIRELESS SERVICE RULES TO PROVIDE GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND ACCESS TO SPECTRUM FOR SMALL AND RURAL PROVIDERS WASHINGTON, D. C. – In an Order on Reconsideration adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) advanced its efforts to make spectrum available for an array of innovative wireless services and technologies, including voice, data, video, and other wireless broadband services offered over Third Generation (“ 3G”) mobile networks. Today’s Order modifies the band plan, and licensing and service rules – originally adopted in October 2003 – for the 90 MHz of Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) spectrum at 1710- 1755 MHz and 2110- 2155 MHz. The modifications adopted today respond to Petitions for Reconsideration filed by five parties in response to the original AWS service rules. The changes made in the Order adopted today enhance flexibility for potential AWS licensees and provide additional opportunities for smaller and rural wireless carriers to access this spectrum. The original band plan for this spectrum adopted by the FCC in October 2003 included a mixture of license sizes and geographic areas in order to accommodate the needs of wireless providers of various sizes serving a range of different geographic areas. Today’s Order maintains such a mixture but increases the amount of spectrum licensed on a small geographic area basis (Cellular Market Areas, or CMAs) from 10 MHz to 20 MHz in order to provide greater opportunities for smaller rural or regional providers to obtain access to this spectrum at auction. The Order also provides for an additional 10 MHz of spectrum licensed by Economic Areas (EAs). The new band plan splits the original 30 MHz E block at 1740- 1755 MHz and 2140- 2155 MHz into one 10 MHz block (new block E) and one 20 MHz block (new block F), in order to facilitate access to the spectrum by a wider array of new and existing wireless carriers seeking to deploy advanced services, improve service quality, augment existing networks, or expand coverage areas. Today’s Order also restructures the band plan by aligning the CMA, EA, and REAG spectrum blocks in order to enable operators to aggregate similarly- licensed spectrum more easily. For more information, please see the attached diagram depicting the old and new band plans for the 1710- 1755 MHz and 2120- 2155 MHz spectrum. In addition to the changes made to the AWS band plan and geographic licensing areas, today’s Order modifies one of the original technical rules by removing a restriction on 1 2 transmitter output power levels. Finally, the Commission today affirmed its 2003 decision not to set aside a portion of the 1710- 1755 MHz and 2110- 2155 MHz bands exclusively for small businesses that meet certain eligibility criteria and its 2003 decision to provide two levels of bidding credits to small businesses that are winning bidders for licenses in those bands. The Commission declined a request to add a third level of bidding credits and two proposals that would have amended its rules pertaining to eligibility for designated entity (“ DE”) status and DE benefits such as bidding credits. The Commission also declined a third proposal to amend the DE rules in this proceeding, but stated that it would examine this issue further in a separate action. In December 2004, the FCC announced its intention to auction the 1710- 1755 MHz and 2120- 2155 MHz AWS spectrum as early as June 2006. The resolution of the pending petitions on this spectrum and the new rules adopted today will enable the FCC to move forward expeditiously with its plans to auction this spectrum. The timely auction and licensing of this spectrum will in turn provide operators with new resources to provide advanced and innovative wireless services to the American public. Action by the Commission on August 5, 2005 by Order on Reconsideration, (FCC 05- 149). Chairman Martin, Commissioners Abernathy, Copps, and Adelstein, with Commissioners Copps and Adelstein issuing separate statements. Chairman Martin will issue a separate statement with the release of the item. For additional information, please contact Peter Corea, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418- 7931 or Peter. Corea@ fcc. gov; or Brian Carter, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418- 1334 or Brian. Carter@ fcc. gov. WT Docket No. 02- 353 – FCC – News and other information about the Federal Communications Commission is available at www. fcc. gov. 2 3 PREVIOUS AND NEW BAND PLANS FOR ADVANCED WIRELESS SERVICE SPECTRUM AT 1710- 1755 MHz AND 2110- 2155 MHz Previous Band Plan, Adopted October 16, 2003 Blocks Pairings Amount Area Licenses A 1710- 1720 and 2110- 2120 2x10 EA 176 B 1720- 1730 and 2120- 2130 2x10 REAG 12 C 1730- 1735 and 2130- 2135 2x5 REAG 12 D 1735- 1740 and 2135- 2140 2x5 CMA 734 E 1740- 1755 and 2140- 2155 2x15 REAG 12 New Band Plan, Adopted August 5, 2005 Blocks Pairings Amount Area Licenses A 1710- 1720 and 2110- 2120 2x10 CMA 734 B 1720- 1730 and 2120- 2130 2x10 EA 176 C 1730- 1735 and 2130- 2135 2x5 EA 176 D 1735- 1740 and 2135- 2140 2x5 REAG 12 E 1740- 1745 and 2140- 2145 2x5 REAG 12 F 1745- 1755 and 2145- 2155 2x10 REAG 12 For maps of the geographic areas listed above, please see the FCC’s web site at http:// wireless. fcc. gov/ auctions/ default. htm? job= maps. 2110 REAG 12 . . . . . 2140 MOBILE 1710 1720 2120 2130 2135 1730 1735 1740 1755 REAG EA CMA 2155 A B C D D E REAG EA REAG E C A B 12 12 176 734 734 12 176 12 12 REAG CMA REAG BASE 176 2145 F B C B C D E EA 176 EA 176 12 12 734 12 12 12 734 176 CMA REAG CMA REAG REAG REAG EA EA REAG REAG A F . . . . . . A D 2120 2135 2140 2130 E 1710 1720 1735 1740 1730 2155 12 1745 1755 2110 MOBILE BASE 3