Wireless Bureau Chief Fred Campbell didn’t offer a new likely sta...

Wireless Bureau Chief Fred Campbell didn’t offer a new likely start date for the 700 MHz auction at a Mon. lunch with the FCBA Wireless Committee. Some auction watchers believe the start could slip because the agency left so many issues unresolved last week in an order on rules for commercial and public safety licenses in the 700 MHz band. “I'm probably focused less on the auction start date than on the next phase of the proceeding,” Campbell said, adding that Chmn. Martin wants final rules in June. “We in the Bureau will do everything we can to make sure the order proceeds on a good time line. While we do seek further comment on a variety of issues, at the same time some of those issues were already part of the underlying proceeding… We already have a lot of background on some of those issues.” Of the Bureau’s case backlog, Campbell didn’t provide numbers, but said “things… are in pretty decent shape” and “at or near all time lows” for pending applications and items. Campbell also confirmed that an order on M2Z was circulated but withdrawn (CD April 20 p1). “We on occasion decide we need to do more work on things,” he said. “I'm not sure when we're going to try and act on that again.”