The FCC set a comment cycle Wednesday on...

The FCC set a comment cycle Wednesday on a complicated deal in which AT&T and T-Mobile propose to swap PCS and AWS-1 licenses in parts of 10 states (http://bit.ly/WNlwLl). Petitions to deny are due Aug. 20, oppositions Sept. 2 and replies Sept. 9. The FCC said the swaps involve spectrum in 76 counties covering “all or parts” of 25 cellular market areas (http://bit.ly/1oLWCWR). The trade satisfies in part a commitment by AT&T to divest spectrum as part of its acquisition of Leap Wireless, AT&T said. “The Applicants assert that the instant transaction would allow them to operate more efficiently due to holding larger blocks of contiguous spectrum and/or aligning spectrum blocks with those already held in adjacent market,” the FCC said. The commission asked interested parties to raise issues in their initial filings, not in replies.