Technologie i telekomunikacja · 26.03.1996

Broadband Personal Communications Services

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``Notice'') that proposes to resolve a number of issues relevant to the award of licenses for the broadband Personal Communications Services (``PCS'') D, E, and F blocks. The Notice begins the process of supplementing the record supporting the gender- and race-based competitive bidding rules in the wake of Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, but it also tentatively concludes that the Commission should not delay auctioning the remaining broadband PCS frequency blocks long enough to complete that process. Accordingly, the Notice proposes to modify the F block auction rules to make them gender- and race-neutral. The Notice also seeks comment on several other matters relating to designated entities and entrepreneurs, including the definitions of small business and rural telephone company, whether to extend installment payment plans to small businesses bidding on the D and E blocks, adjustments to the payment plans available to small businesses bidding on the D and E blocks, and adjustments to the benefits provided to entrepreneurs in the F block rules that might be warranted in light of the fact that 10