The FCC should reject an NTCA/Rural Wireless Association...

The FCC should reject an NTCA/Rural Wireless Association proposal to divide the forward auction of 600 MHz spectrum into two phases (CD Jan 9 p2), said AT&T in comments filed Thursday. Dividing the forward auction into one phase for purchasing large lots of urban spectrum and a second phase for smaller chunks of rural spectrum “adds complexity to what has already been widely acknowledged as one of the most complicated proceedings in Commission history,” AT&T said. The telco also argued that the two-phase auction would still expose buyers to aggregation risks, making it difficult for companies to provide coverage over large uninterrupted areas. Though the NTCA/RWA proposal framed the two-phase auction as still allowing carriers like AT&T to purchase large pieces of spectrum, the pieces aren’t big enough, AT&T said. The proposal would still lead to “operational difficulties inherent with such small license areas,” AT&T said.