FCC C-block bidding edged up to $14.2 billion Tues. after 39 rounds, with Verizon Wireless solidifying its lead to $6.5 billion. While overall pace of bidding has slowed since auction resumed Jan. 4, Verizon Wireless bids picked up, rising from $5.1 billion in net high bids Mon. AT&T Wireless-backed designated entity Alaska Native Wireless came in 2nd with $2.5 billion, followed by Cingular Wireless-backed Salmon PCS with $1.9 billion. For first time on Tues., 2 N.Y.C. licenses edged up past $1 billion. Previously, Verizon had been bidding $1.17 billion for one license in that market, but it edged up bid for 2nd to $1.27 billion. Alaska Native Wireless is bidding $930.7 million for 3rd license there.
Verizon formally asked Pa. PUC to support Sec. 271 application to FCC for interLATA long distance authority and informed PUC it planned FCC filing in 100 days (around April 20). Verizon’s filing with PUC Tues. said carrier had met all 14 market-opening requirements of Sec. 271 checklist, its Pa. local markets were “fully and irreversibly open” to local competition and CLECs “can compete effectively using our systems.” Verizon said final report by KPMG Consulting on operation support systems test proved its claims: “Our systems scored an ‘A’ on this rigorous test. The results validate the real-world experience of more than 85 competitors who rely on our systems to provide local phone service” in Pa. Verizon said CLECs were serving 670,000 customers using 220,000 resold Verizon lines and 450,000 of their own lines. Verizon said it had implemented 164 interconnection agreements and 1,700 colocation agreements with competitors, had installed 310,000 trunks between its network and those of competitors, and exchanged more than 15 billion traffic min. with CLECs in 2000 -- 32% more than in 1999. Verizon said 85% of its residential lines and 91% of business lines were accessible to CLECs. Local rival AT&T disputed Verizon’s claim of 271 compliance, saying KPMG test failed to provide conclusive proof Verizon could handle commercial volumes of CLEC orders for voice loops and digital subscriber lines on day-to-day basis without glitches. AT&T said CLECs “continue to be hamstrung by Verizon’s wholesale unit” in Pa. local marketplace.
Cablevision Systems said it aims to install up to 500,000 Sony advanced digital cable boxes in subscribers’ homes this year, starting in June. MSO, which plans to take 3-1/2 years to deploy advanced digital boxes throughout its large N.Y.C. area franchise, said it also intends to start offering IP telephony through its digital set-tops later this year. In addition, Cablevision said it added 100,000 high-speed data customers in 4th quarter, closing 2000 with 239,000 cable-modem subscribers, or 12% of homes marketed. Separately, Cablevision and AT&T completed swap of cable systems in N.Y.C. and Boston areas. As part of trade, AT&T received systems serving 358,000 customers in Boston and eastern Mass., boosting its Boston market cluster to nearly 2 million subscribers and 3.5 million homes passed. In return, Cablevision gained systems in northern N.Y. suburbs serving 130,000 subscribers, as well as $870 million in AT&T stock and about $300 million in cash. With deal, Cablevision’s N.Y. cluster now serves about 3 million homes and passes more than 4 million.
Proposal by Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition (FWCC) that seeks changes in FCC rules on access to spectrum for satellite services has drawn strong opposition from satellite and cable industries. Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA), Satellite Bcstg. & Communications Assn. (SBCA), World Teleport Assn. (WTA), Aerospace Industries Assn.(AIA) and National Cable TV Assn. (NCTA) filed comments opposing changes. Among things FWCC wants is declaratory ruling on partial band licensing of Earth Stations in Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) that share terrestrial spectrum, routine licensing of 3.7 meter transmit and receive stations on C- band and deployment of geostationary orbit FSS earth stations in share portion of Ka-band. Each of groups said changes wouldn’t be in public interest.
CTAM and Cablevision called for entries for 18th Annual Mark Awards competition with Feb. 9 deadline. Awards recognize marketing and advertising excellence in cable and telecom.
U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., handed important victory to Assn. of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT) late Tues., vacating FCC order on one of conditions imposed on SBC-Ameritech merger in 1999. Court vacated order that covered tradeoff FCC made with SBC in which company was permitted to provide advanced services free of interconnection requirements if it created separate affiliate to provide those services. Decision focused on arguments by challenger ASCENT that FCC essentially was forbearing from regulating when it decided to bypass interconnection requirements of Telecom Act’s Sec. 251 because SBC would be providing advanced, not basic, service through separate subsidiary.
NAB said 6 more TV stations have begun broadcasting digital signals, raising industry DTV total to 172 stations in 60 markets. List of new DTV stations includes: (1) WALA-DT, Mobile, Ala., Fox affiliate owned by Emmis Communications. (2) KTXA-DT, Dallas, UPN affiliate owned by Viacom. (3) WVIA-DT, Scranton, Pa., PBS station licensed to Northeastern Pa. Educational TV Assn. (4) KXAN-DT, Austin, NBC affiliate owned by Lin TV. (5) WNBC-DT, N.Y.C., NBC owned station. (6) KDNL-DT, St. Louis, ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Bcst. Group.
Ericsson said Time Warner had selected it as one of its top suppliers for cable modems this year. TW will deploy Ericsson PipeRider HM200c cable modems nationwide, it said.
ICO-Teledesic Global Ltd. received FCC authority to transfer control of license held by predecessor Teledesic to construct, launch and operate nongeostationary orbit Fixed Satellite Service satellites. ICO also received exemption from space station “cutoff rule” that will allow it to continue prosecuting its pending letter of intent to access 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Service frequency bands. Commission said decision would permit completion of planned merger of Teledesic and ICO into single organizational structure and would serve public interest by facilitating rapid deployment and competition for broadband services. FCC gave companies 60 days to complete transaction.
Motorola will provide 3rd-generation wireless network upgrades for Sprint PCS under infrastructure agreement, terms not disclosed. Motorola said it would provide CDMA equipment with interoperability specifications and cdma2000 1x high-speed packet data “in a significant portion” of Sprint wireless markets. It said upgrade orders cover Sprint operations in Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, O., Greensboro, N.C., Honolulu, Knoxville, Norfolk, Raleigh, Richmond. Separately, Motorola said it completed 3G calls in Sprint PCS lab in Kansas City as part of tests before commercial deployment of next-generation wireless systems. Most recent trial involved Motorola’s 4-carrier base station that uses interoperability standard to connect to packet data serving node.