Wheeler Disputes Ergen Complaints About Agency's Handling of AWS-3 Auction Dispute

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler disputed criticisms of how the agency handled Dish Network’s use of designated entities and bidding credits in the AWS-3 auction by Dish CEO Charlie Ergen. Ergen said during a financial call Wednesday that Dish did exactly what it understood it was entitled to do based on guidance from the FCC before that auction (see 1508050042). “I liked the part of his earnings call where he talked about the best FCC in 30 years,” Wheeler said during a Thursday news conference. “The rules haven’t changed. The rules were the rules when [Dish] went in and they made their decision based on knowing what the rules were.”