PUBLIC
NOTICE

       Federal Communications Commission
       1919 M St., N.W.
       Washington, D.C. 20554


          Released:  June 10, 1996                          DA 96-929


FCC STAFF CLARIFIES APPLICATION OF ANTI-COLLUSION RULE TO BROADBAND PCS "C"
                            BLOCK REAUCTION 


      The FCC staff has received numerous inquiries concerning the applicability of the Commission's
anti-collusion rule to the simultaneous multiple round reauction of 18 Broadband Personal Communications
Services (PCS) "C Block" licenses, which is scheduled to begin on July 3, 1996.  The Commission's anti-collusion rule provides that, after the short-form application (FCC Form 175) filing deadline, applicants may
not cooperate, collaborate, discuss or disclose the substance of their bids or bidding strategies with other
bidders until after the high bidder makes the required down payment.  47 C.F.R.  1.2105(c)(1)(emphasis
added).  A number of C Block bidders have expressed their concern that the rule may restrict them from
having discussions with other C Block bidders, many of whom are potential applicants for the July 3, 1996 
C Block reauction.  The bidders question whether the anti-collusion rule continues to apply because the high
bidders on the 18 licenses to be reauctioned did not make the required down payments.  
  
     The C Block auction and the C Block reauction of the 18 licenses are two separate auction events,
each of which trigger a separate application of the anti-collusion rule.  Therefore, qualified bidders in the C
Block auction are not restricted from participating in the types of discussions covered by the rule with respect
to the 18 licenses subject to reauction, until the short-form application filing deadline for the reauction --
Friday, June 14, 1996.  

     For further information, contact Sue McNeil, Auctions Division, Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau, at (202) 418-0660.




                                -- FCC --