DE Northstar Asks FCC To Reject AT&T Arguments Against Its AWS-3 Auction Buys
Northstar Wireless asked the FCC to reject a pleading by AT&T that it said supports petitions asking the agency to reject Northstar’s applications for the licenses it won in the AWS-3 auction. Northstar was one of the two designated entities…
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(DEs) working with Dish Network in the auction (see 1505190046). The AT&T motion is “misleadingly styled as a ‘partial opposition’ when it actually arguably appears to seek denial of Northstar’s applications,” Northstar said. “Rather than file a petition to deny, AT&T has attempted to piggyback on timely filed applications.” The “stratagem” should be denied, Northstar said. The DE is controlled by Doyon, an Alaska Native Corporation. Dish is “confident” it and the DEs followed FCC rules in the auction when they bought $13.3 billion worth of spectrum for $10 billion, saving more than $3 billion in discounts, Dish CEO Charlie Ergen said on a recent earnings call (see 1505110035). AT&T is "not an applicant for the licenses at issue in this proceeding," Northstar said. "Moreover, AT&T does not qualify within the meaning of an 'interested party' under Section 1.939(f) of the Commission’s rules as it alleges no ownership or other interest in the licenses in question." The AT&T filing was made May 18 and challenges to the license applications were due at the FCC May 11, Northstar said.