Partial Economic Area (PEA) licenses aren’t a satisfactory...

Partial Economic Area (PEA) licenses aren’t a satisfactory alternative as a license size for the upcoming incentive TV auction, said representatives of the Rural Wireless Association and NTCA in a meeting with FCC officials. PEAs “remain too large to ensure the auction participation level necessary to ensure dissemination of licenses to small businesses and rural telephone companies,” the groups told the FCC in an ex parte filing. “For many carriers, the use of PEAs would preclude auction participation in much the same way as Economic Areas. … This is particularly true for carriers west of the Mississippi River.” The two associations want the FCC to offer license in the smaller Cellular Market Area-sized licenses.