FCC Says Airwave Auction To Delay Until 2016
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expects a major auction of low-frequency airwaves to be pushed back to early 2016 from mid-2015.
The FCC has been working on rules for the "incentive auction" in which wireless carriers would have the opportunity to purchase precious radio spectrum that allows for strong and long signal transmissions.
Since May, the FCC has initiated rule-makings to address the operations of important services affected by the incentive auction, including unlicensed white spaces devices, wireless microphones and Low Power Television.
Gary Epstein, Chair of the FCC's Incentive Auction Task Force, wrote Friday on the FCC's blog that the Commission would vote on the Comment PN before the end of the year. The Comment PN will propose and seek comment on the detailed directions for how the auction will be conducted, including the methodology to be used to establish opening bids for the reverse and forward auctions; how to define "impaired" markets subject to interference; and the components of the final stage rule.
However, court challenges to the auction rules by some broadcasters have introduced uncertainty. The National Association of Broadcasters has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review elements of the FCC's planned auction process, arguing it could hurt TV stations. The court has now pushed back the deadline on final briefs in the case until late January 2015. Oral arguments will follow at a later date yet to be determined, with a decision not likely until mid-2015.
"We are confident we will prevail in court, but given the reality of that schedule, the complexity of designing and implementing the auction, and the need for all auction participants to have certainty well in advance of the auction, we now anticipate accepting applications for the auction in the fall of 2015 and starting the auction in early 2016. Despite this brief delay, we remain focused on the path to successfully implementing the incentive auction," wrote Epstein.
Since May, the FCC has initiated rule-makings to address the operations of important services affected by the incentive auction, including unlicensed white spaces devices, wireless microphones and Low Power Television.
Gary Epstein, Chair of the FCC's Incentive Auction Task Force, wrote Friday on the FCC's blog that the Commission would vote on the Comment PN before the end of the year. The Comment PN will propose and seek comment on the detailed directions for how the auction will be conducted, including the methodology to be used to establish opening bids for the reverse and forward auctions; how to define "impaired" markets subject to interference; and the components of the final stage rule.
However, court challenges to the auction rules by some broadcasters have introduced uncertainty. The National Association of Broadcasters has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review elements of the FCC's planned auction process, arguing it could hurt TV stations. The court has now pushed back the deadline on final briefs in the case until late January 2015. Oral arguments will follow at a later date yet to be determined, with a decision not likely until mid-2015.
"We are confident we will prevail in court, but given the reality of that schedule, the complexity of designing and implementing the auction, and the need for all auction participants to have certainty well in advance of the auction, we now anticipate accepting applications for the auction in the fall of 2015 and starting the auction in early 2016. Despite this brief delay, we remain focused on the path to successfully implementing the incentive auction," wrote Epstein.
