Week ahead: FCC prepares for auction

The Federal Communications Commission will take more steps to prepare for 2016’s spectrum auction at Thursday’s open meeting.

There are three spectrum-related items on the agenda.

Perhaps the most high-profile is Chairman Tom Wheeler’s recommendation that the commission decline T-Mobile’s request to expand the reserve of spectrum for small carriers. Last year, 30 MHz was set aside for small carriers in different markets in an attempt to keep Verizon and AT&T from dominating the auction. T-Mobile has asked that it be increased to 40 MHz.

{mosads}Before Wheeler announced his recommendation, T-Mobile had been running an aggressive lobbying campaign on the issue — including reaching out directly to customers. The company has promised to continue fighting until all the votes are counted next week.

Also on the agenda is Wheeler’s proposal that would place stricter rules on a program that some say allows large corporations to inappropriately claim discounts on spectrum meant for small businesses. In the last auction, DISH coordinated its bidding with two smaller entities and claimed billions of dollars in discounts. Such coordination would no longer be allowed.

The five commissioners at the agency will also consider a set of procedural rules for the auction.

On Capitol Hill, it appears a House appropriations rider that would temporarily block controversial net neutrality rules will be pushed back after originally looking like it would get a vote next week.

The odds of the Financial Services and General Government spending bill, which contains the rider, getting a vote are low. Republicans have hit the brakes on spending bills for now, fearing Democrats could offer more amendments related to the controversy over the Confederate flag.

A hearing on broadband infrastructure investment is also being delayed in the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology. The committee did not say when it would be rescheduled.

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