Two House Republicans warned the FCC not to restrict participation in spectrum auctions. “We strongly oppose any rule changes that would depress participation in the upcoming incentive auction for 600 MHz [of] broadcast TV spectrum,” said Commerce Committee Vice Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Communications Subcommittee Vice Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, in a letter sent Friday. They blasted the idea of “greater set-asides” than the FCC has already specified. They also said the FCC needs to further overhaul the designated entity rules. The FCC should be “guided by a simple principle: A small business program must serve small businesses and not become a forum for corporate welfare,” they said. “But real small businesses who are building mobile broadband to serve their communities do not have deep pockets, and placing too high a cap on bidding credits is only likely to encourage speculators and others more interested in profiting from this government program rather than deploying new broadband infrastructure and creating real competition.”

A variable band plan is “poor long-term spectrum policy,” said NAB at a June 22 meeting with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and commission staff, according to an ex parte filing. “The negative effects of variability will not be felt in the near term, but only down the line when a future Commission is required to manage the challenges posed by broadcasters and wireless operators attempting to serve consumers on the same frequencies in the 600 MHz band.” The interference challenges are similar to the problems with the 700 MHz A block due to its proximity to TV Channel 51, NAB said. Relocating TV stations in the duplex gap in certain markets “will wipe out licensed wireless microphone use for breaking news purposes in those areas,” NAB said. The proposal is “the result of a singular focus on auction design and not on the resulting landscape after the auction,” NAB said in the filing posted Thursday to docket 14-252. “Broadcasters that were already struggling to figure out how to cover breaking news and emergencies on just 4 MHz of spectrum will be further hampered.”

T-Mobile launched a late campaign to get the FCC to change course and approve a larger reserve spectrum set aside in the TV incentive auction. T-Mobile is asking the public to get involved and use social media to put pressure on the FCC before its July 16 meeting to approve a spectrum reserve larger than the 30 MHz set aside for competitors last year. FCC officials told industry groups in briefings last week that Chairman Tom Wheeler asked the agency to reject that proposal in the order set for a vote in July, industry and agency officials have said (see 1506170052).

The FCC is starting to brief stakeholders on two key TV incentive auction items teed up for a vote at its July 16 meeting, industry officials told us Wednesday. Briefings have started on the auction procedures public notice and the spectrum holdings order to be circulated by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the officials said. One key takeaway from the briefings is that T-Mobile lost in its push to get the FCC to up the ante on a May 2014 proposal and increase the amount of reserve spectrum set aside in each market for companies with comparatively little low-band spectrum -- in many cases the competitors to AT&T and Verizon, industry sources said.

House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., want the FCC to establish “the necessary technical rules to support the nationwide availability of unlicensed spectrum within the 600 MHz band,” they said in a letter to Chairman Tom Wheeler Tuesday. They pointed to the broader goals of Congress in passing the Spectrum Act. “We’re concerned that the FCC is now under pressure to undo this proposal.” The FCC should keep in mind congressional intent when amending Part 15 rules, they said.

The FCC is proposing to reserve at least one blank TV channel in every market for white spaces devices and wireless mics after the incentive auction and repacking, said a rulemaking notice released Tuesday. The NPRM tentatively finds that this channel should be located in the UHF band, above Channel 21, though the commission seeks comment on that and other proposals. Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly dissented.

The FCC appears to be on the right track as it looks at impairment and spectrum clearing in the TV incentive auction planning, wireless industry commenters said. The FCC Incentive Auction Team released a public notice offering a new look at the issue last month and comments were due Wednesday at the FCC (see 1505210054). CTIA called the PN a good first step, while NAB and the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA) complained it doesn’t convey enough information to allow for substantive comments. Comments were posted in 12-268.

The FCC should consider adopting safeguards that allow all wireless providers equal opportunity to secure critical spectrum resources in the upcoming 600 MHz auction, said Rep. Robert Godshall, majority chairman of the Pennsylvania House Consumer Affairs Committee, in a letter to the FCC in docket 12-268. The commission should consider increasing the size of the reserve in each market to reduce market concentration and protect consumers, government and business from paying more for wireless service than they would if the market were more competitive, he said. Preserving competition in the wireless market will benefit consumers through increased choices, lower prices, and higher quality and more reliable services, Godshall said.

Sennheiser representatives met with aides to all FCC members on the wireless mic maker's proposals for devices in the TV band, after the incentive auction, the company said in an ex parte filing in docket 12-268. The Sennheiser reps “disabused the myth that wireless microphone technology is not cutting edge or spectrally efficient” and “emphasized the importance of wireless microphones to one of our country’s most vital industries, content creation,” said the filing. It said Sennheiser highlighted the differences between wireless mics and white spaces devices “which allow wireless microphones to be good spectrum neighbors to incoming 600 MHz licensees and to not require control by a database.” Two clear UHF channels for wireless mics without white space devices “is a need not a want,” the company said.

The FCC Incentive Auction Team released a public notice offering a new look at impairment and clearing spectrum in the auction. The auction team also sought comment on the PN, due at the FCC June 3. Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly immediately slammed the notice. Chairman Tom Wheeler defended it Thursday.