FCC says auction decision won't happen until September

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said on Friday that the commission won't make a decision on whether to re-auction the 700 MHz D-Block spectrum or to auction the AWS-3 spectrum until at least September. 

Martin says that the commission wants more time to review comments and to allow the FCC engineers to determine whether there is a chance of interference occurring between the AWS-3 spectrum and the AWS spectrum won by incumbent carrier T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile has been opposed to the AWS-3 auction, which requires the winning bidders use at least 25 percent of their spectrum for free wireless broadband service. T-Mobile fears that the AWS-3 wireless Internet service will interfere with the company's plans to deploy wireless broadband in its AWS spectrum.

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