FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF January 12, 2021 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Lisa Murkowski United States Senate 522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Murkowski: Thank you for your letter asking that the Commission render a decision on the refiled applications of SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC and Northstar Wireless, LLC. In 2015, the Commission unanimously found that SNR Wireless and Northstar were both controlled by DISH Network, a multi-billion dollar corporation, and thus ineligible to receive the very-small-business bidding credits they sought during the AWS-3 Advanced Wireless Services auction (Auction 97). In 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded the issue to the Commission so these applicants could renegotiate their deals with DISH Network and attempt to cure the problem. On November 23, 2020, the Commission released a bipartisan order on remand. Based on a review of the revised agreements and the record on remand, the Commission found that DISH Network continues to possess de facto control over the applicants. As a result, the two companies continue to be ineligible for the approximately $3.3 billion in very small business designated entity bidding credits sought for the licenses they won in Auction 97. The applicants previously elected to selectively default on a combined 197 licenses-including licenses in New York, Boston, and Chicago-which allowed the final payment amounts paid by the Applicants to cover the full, non-discounted price for the remaining spectrnm they won in the AWS-3 auction. SNR Wireless and Northstar are, however, subject to additional default payments that may become due in the future when the defaulted licenses are re-auctioned by the Commission. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN January 12, 2021 The Honorable Don Young U.S. House of Representatives 2314 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Young: Thank you for your letter asking that the Commission render a decision on the refiled applications of SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC and Northstar Wireless, LLC. In 2015, the Commission unanimously found that SNR Wireless and Northstar were both controlled by DISH Network, a multi-billion dollar corporation, and thus ineligible to receive the very-small-business bidding credits they sought during the AWS-3 Advanced Wireless Services auction (Auction 97). In 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit remanded the issue to the Commission so these applicants could renegotiate their deals with DISH Network and attempt to cure the problem. On November 23, 2020, the Commission released a bipartisan order on remand. Based on a review of the revised agreements and the record on remand, the Commission found that DISH Network continues to possess de faclo control over the applicants. As a result, the two companies continue to be ineligible for the approximately $3.3 billion in very small business designated entity bidding credits sought for the licenses they won in Auction 97. The applicants previously elected to selectively default on a combined 197 licenses-including licenses in New York, Boston, and Chicago-which allowed the final payment amounts paid by the Applicants to cover the full, non-discounted price for the remaining spectrum they won in the A WS-3 auction. SNR Wireless and Northstar are, however, subject to additional default payments that may become due in the future when the defaulted licenses are re-auctioned by the Commission. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. v. ------ - - ----- - - --- -- -