WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission was expected late Friday or today to announce eligible bidders for the April 27 local multi-distribution point service re-auction.
After initially receiving 99 applications for 168 LMDS licenses, the FCC temporarily rejected 36 filings for procedural defects. Firms had until last Monday to correct mistakes, refile and make upfront payments to lock in eligibility.
Big names that dominated last year’s LMDS auction-WNP Communications, Nextlink, WinStar, Baker Creek and Cortelyou-did not file under the same name, according to the Wireless Communications Association International.
Those firms, the trade group said, concentrated license purchases on heavily populated markets the first time around. The re-auction will include less populous locales that either were ignored in the original auction or that were bought but subsequently forfeited.
