[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10149-10150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03888]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[WT Docket No. 13-225; DA 13-2409]


DISH Network Corporation, Petition for Waiver and Request for 
Extension of Time

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission), Wireless Telecommunications Bureau provides notice of a 
Memorandum Opinion and Order in which it granted waivers to DISH 
Network Corporation, subject to certain conditions, in response to a 
petition filed by DISH to provide DISH with flexibility to elect 
whether to use 20 megahertz of Advanced Wireless Services-4 (AWS-4) 
spectrum at 2000-2020 MHz (the Lower AWS-4 Band) for uplink or downlink 
operations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Pearl, Broadband Division, 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-2607 or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 13-2409, adopted and released on 
December 20, 2013. The full text of this document is available for 
public inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC 
Reference Information Center, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, 
Washington, DC 20554. The complete text of the Memorandum Opinion and 
Order and related Commission documents may be purchased from the 
Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. 
(BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 
20554, via telephone at (202) 488-5300, via facsimile at (202) 488-
5563, or via email at the Commission's Web site at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA 13-2409A1.docx. 
Alternative formats (computer diskette, large print, audio cassette, 
and Braille) are available by contacting Brian Millin at (202) 418-
7426, TTY (202) 418-7365, or via email to [email protected].

Summary

    1. On December 20, 2013, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 
(the Bureau) granted to DISH Network Corporation (DISH) waivers of the 
Commission's rules, subject to certain conditions, in response to a 
petition filed by DISH to provide DISH with flexibility to elect 
whether to use 20 megahertz of Advanced Wireless Services-4 (AWS-4) 
spectrum at 2000-2020 MHz (the Lower AWS-4 Band) for uplink or downlink 
operations. The Bureau also waived DISH's final AWS-4 build-out 
milestone, extending the deadline from seven to eight years. See DISH 
Network Corporation, Petition for Waiver of Sec. Sec.  27.5(j) and 
27.53(h)(2)(ii) and Request for Extension of Time, WT Docket No. 13-225 
(filed Sept. 9, 2013) (``DISH Petition''). DISH filed its waiver 
request on behalf of itself and its wholly owned subsidiaries Gamma 
Acquisitions L.L.C. and New DBSD Satellite Services G.P. Id. at 1. This 
Summary refers to DISH Network Corporation and these subsidiaries 
collectively as ``DISH.'' In granting this relief, the Bureau 
determined that, provided DISH complies with several conditions, the 
request meets the Commission's general waiver standard as well as 
requirements specific to wireless services. The decision to grant DISH 
an extension of time and the flexibility to elect whether to use the 
Lower AWS-4 Band for uplink or downlink operations was effective upon 
release of the Memorandum Opinion and Order on December 20, 2013.
    2. The Bureau's grant of the requested waivers was subject to DISH 
meeting the following two conditions. First, pursuant to commitments 
made in its waiver request, DISH must bid in the upcoming H Block 
auction ``either directly or indirectly through an affiliated entity or 
designated entity, at least a net clearing price'' equal to the 
aggregate reserve price set for that auction of $1.564 billion. See 
Auction of H Block Licenses in the 1915-1920 MHz and 1995-2000 MHz 
Bands Scheduled for January 14, 2014; Notice and Filing Requirements, 
Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments, and other Procedures for 
Auction 96, AU Docket No. 13-178, Public Notice, 28 FCC Rcd 13019, 
13064 para. 172 (WTB 2013) (``Auction 96 Procedures PN''); NTCH, Inc. 
Petition for Reconsideration of Public Notice Announcing Procedures and 
Reserve Price for Auction of H Block Licenses (Auction 96), AU Docket 
No. 13-176, Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 13-2281 (WTB/Auctions 
Division, Nov. 27, 2013) (``Auction 96 Procedures PN Recon Order''). 
Second, DISH must file its uplink or downlink election, which shall 
apply to all AWS-4 licenses, as soon as commercially practicable but no 
later than 30 months after the release date of the Bureau's Memorandum 
Opinion and Order. Failure by DISH to comply with either of these 
conditions will automatically terminate the waivers

[[Page 10150]]

granted in the Bureau's Memorandum Opinion and Order.
    3. In the event that DISH first preserves its election ability and 
then elects to use its Lower AWS-4 Band spectrum for downlink 
operations, the Bureau specified the technical parameters such 
operations must meet to avoid causing harmful interference to licensees 
of nearby spectrum bands. These parameters are similar to those 
established for similar AWS and PCS downlink bands, including the AWS-1 
downlink band.
    4. In granting the DISH Petition, the Bureau declined to grant 
Sprint's request that it impose a specific cost sharing payment 
condition upon DISH should it be a winning bidder in the H Block 
auction, because that payment requirement is already established by the 
Commission's rules applicable to any winning bidder in that auction. 
The Bureau also declined to address in the Memorandum Opinion and Order 
Sprint's request that it issue a blanket waiver to all future H Block 
licensees of certain H Block technical rules. Finally, the Bureau 
rejected NTCH's various arguments requesting that it deny or delay 
consideration of the DISH Petition.

Federal Communications Commission.
Blaise A. Scinto,
Chief, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2014-03888 Filed 2-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P