It’s hard to tell whether the first session of the 104th Congress is winding down or whether Washington is just all wound up.
The GOP-led Congress was scrambling to pass the remaining appropriations bills, arguing with itself and the Clinton administration about approving another stop-gap funding bill to keep the government running after Friday.
The president rejected the Republican’s seven-year balanced budget bill on Dec. 6, then came back the next day with one of his own that would generate-not $15.3 billion-but $28.3 billion from expanded spectrum auctions. Expanded as in analog TV channels.
Another government shutdown is not expected to interfere with the two-week-old 900 MHz specialized mobile radio or the C-block personal communication services auction that begins today. Maybe.
It is unclear whether the Federal Communications Commission or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati will act on Radiofone Inc.’s requests to stay the entrepreneur block auction pending the outcome of further agency proceedings on cellular-PCS cross-ownership issues remanded by the court Nov. 9.
United Wireless L.L.C., another Louisiana firm angry that delays have scared off investors, asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to stop the auction.
There’s more. Advanced Cordless Technologies Inc., a disgruntled pioneer’s preference applicant, asked the FCC to suspend A- and B-block PCS auction licenses in light of the Sixth Circuit’s Nov. 9 order that struck down cellular-PCS cross ownership rules.
Mobile Telecommunication Technologies Corp. and the FCC squared off in federal court earlier this month over a 1994 decision to force the Jackson, Miss., firm to pay for a nationwide narrowband PCS pioneer’s preference license.
The House and Senate passed the Commerce appropriations conference report, which includes $175.7 million for the FCC and $17 million for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. President Clinton has vowed to veto the bill.
The Clinton administration said it has the final word on whether Comsat Corp. can invest in ICO Global Communications Corp.’s pocket telephone satellite project being developed by members of Inmarsat. The FCC will still weigh on related issues. Failure to garner more spectrum for little LEOs at WRC-95 creates a dilemma for pending applicants. The FCC round table on satellite licensing policies is scheduled for Dec. 19.
… CNN got into the GSM-hearing aid interference fray. An industry summit to address the issue is set for Jan. 3-4.
… Sue Richard resigned as vice president of communications at the Personal Communications Industry Association. Jonathan Osmundsen, who worked under Richard, joined Ericsson Inc. in New York.
… Mike Houghton, CTIA assistant vice president for news relations, departs next month to launch his PR firm.
… Tim Ayers joins CTIA to do public outreach on health issues.
… Tom Wheeler, president of CTIA, gets honorable mention for RCR Person of the Year for knocking heads on antenna siting (including fed property), state deregulation, resale, GSM hearing aid interference, fraud and microwave relocation. Whether you like him or not, he’s the straw that stirs the drink in the nation’s capital. Bring on the LECs.
