Information Concerning the Assignment Phase of the Forward Auction (Auction 1002), Including the Schedule for Practice and Mock Auctions; Availability of Assignment Phase User Guide and Online Tutorial; Assignment Phase Bidding Begins March 6, 2017, 11915-11918 [2017-03830]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 37 / Monday, February 27, 2017 / Notices
Components, or ATCs); obtain the legal
and technical information required to
facilitate the integration of ATCs into
MSS networks in the L-Band and the
1.6/2.4 GHz Bands; and to ensure that
ATC licensees meet the Commission’s
legal and technical requirements to
develop and maintain their MSS
networks and operate their ATC systems
without causing harmful interference to
other radio systems.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–03754 Filed 2–24–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
[OMB 3060–0652]
Information Collection Being Reviewed
by the Federal Communications
Commission
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
As part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork burdens, and as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA), the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC or Commission)
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on the
following information collections.
Comments are requested concerning:
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
the accuracy of the Commission’s
burden estimate; ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; ways to minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology; and ways to
further reduce the information
collection burden on small business
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
The FCC may not conduct or sponsor
a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control
number. No person shall be subject to
any penalty for failing to comply with
a collection of information subject to the
PRA that does not display a valid OMB
control number.
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SUMMARY:
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Written comments should be
submitted on or before April 28, 2017.
If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments, but find it
difficult to do so within the period of
time allowed by this notice, you should
advise the contacts below as soon as
possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to
Cathy Williams, FCC, via email
PRA@fcc.gov and to
Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy
Williams at (202) 418–2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of
its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork burdens, and as required by
the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520),
the FCC invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on the
following information collections.
Comments are requested concerning:
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
the accuracy of the Commission’s
burden estimate; ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; ways to minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology; and ways to
further reduce the information
collection burden on small business
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
OMB Control Number: 3060–0652.
Title: Section 76.309, Customer
Service Obligations; Section 76.1602,
Customer Service-General Information,
Section 76.1603, Customer Service-Rate
and Service Changes and Section
76.1619, Information and Subscriber
Bills.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents and
Responses: 8,260 respondents;
1,117,540 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.0167
to 1 hour.
Frequency of Response: On occasion
reporting requirement; Third party
disclosure requirement.
Obligation To Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. The statutory
authority for this collection of
information is contained in Sections 4(i)
DATES:
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11915
and 632 of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 50,090 hours.
Total Annual Cost: None.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No
impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:
There is no need for confidentiality with
this collection of information.
Needs and Uses: The Commission
released on October 14, 2010, a Third
Report and Order and Order on
Reconsideration, FCC 10–181, CS
Docket 97–80 and PP Docket 00–67,
modifying the Commission’s rules to
implement Section 629 of the
Communications Act (Section 304 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996).
Section 629 of the Communications Act
directs the Commission to adopt rules to
assure the commercial availability of
‘‘navigation devices,’’ such as cable settop boxes. One rule modification in the
Third Report and Order and Order on
Reconsideration is intended to prohibit
price discrimination against retail
devices. This modification requires
cable operators to disclose annually the
fees for rental of navigation devices and
single and additional CableCARDs as
well as the fees reasonably allocable to
the rental of single and additional
CableCARDs and the rental of operatorsupplied navigation devices if those
devices are included in the price of a
bundled offer.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary. Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–03753 Filed 2–24–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
[GN Docket No. 12–268; AU Docket No. 14–
252; WT Docket No. 12–269; DA 17–142]
Information Concerning the
Assignment Phase of the Forward
Auction (Auction 1002), Including the
Schedule for Practice and Mock
Auctions; Availability of Assignment
Phase User Guide and Online Tutorial;
Assignment Phase Bidding Begins
March 6, 2017
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In this document, the
Incentive Auction Task Force (Task
Force) and Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau)
announce information regarding the
assignment phase of the forward auction
(Auction 1002), including the schedule
SUMMARY:
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11916
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 37 / Monday, February 27, 2017 / Notices
for the practice and mock auctions.
Specifically, the Task Force and Bureau
announce the availability of the
assignment phase bidding system and
assignment phase data; the assignment
phase practice and mock auction design
and schedule; the start date, and
scheduled conclusion date, for
assignment phase bidding; and the
availability of educational and
informational materials to help bidders
prepare for the assignment phase.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information on the practice and
mock auctions, contact Melissa
Dunford, Melissa.Dunford@fcc.gov,
(202) 418–0617, or Jonathan
McCormack, Jonathan.McCormack@
fcc.gov, (202) 418–1065. For general
auction questions, contact Linda
Sanderson, Linda.Sanderson@fcc.gov,
(717) 338–2868. For forward auction
legal questions, contact Valerie Barrish,
Valerie.Barrish@fcc.gov, (202) 418–
0660, or Scott Mackoul, Scott.Mackoul@
fcc.gov, (202) 418–0660. Press contact:
Charles Meisch, Charles.Meisch@
fcc.gov, (202) 418–2943. For technical
support questions, contact the FCC
Auctions Technical Support Hotline at
(877) 480–3201, option nine; (202) 414–
1250; or TTY: (202) 414–1255 (open
8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET),
Monday through Friday).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
summary of the Commission’s
document, AU Docket No. 14–252, GN
Docket No. 12–268, WT Docket No. 12–
269; DA 17–142, released February 14,
2017. The complete text of this
document is available for public
inspection and copying from 8:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through
Thursday or from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
ET on Fridays in the FCC Reference
Information Center, 445 12th Street SW.,
Room CY–A257, Washington, DC 20554.
The complete text is also available on
the Commission’s Web site at https://
wireless.fcc.gov, the Auction 1000 Web
site at https://www.fcc.gov/auctions/
1000, or by using the search function on
the ECFS Web page at https://
www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Alternative
formats are available to persons with
disabilities by sending an email to
FCC504@fcc.gov or by calling the
Consumer & Governmental Affairs
Bureau at (202) 418–0530 (voice), (202)
418–0432 (TTY).
Synopsis
1. The Incentive Auction Task Force
(Task Force) and the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau)
provide information regarding the
assignment phase of the forward auction
(Auction 1002) of the broadcast
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television spectrum incentive auction.
The assignment phase is designed to
give highest priority to assigning
bidders within a Partial Economic Area
(PEA) contiguous blocks of spectrum to
the extent possible and to simplify the
bidding process. Bidders that won at
least one block of paired spectrum in
one PEA in the forward auction clock
phase are eligible to participate in the
forward auction assignment phase.
Bidders eligible to participate in the
assignment phase will be able to log in
to the assignment phase bidding system
between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET on
Tuesday, February 21, 2017, to
download their assignment phase
bidding options (which correspond to
their clock phase winnings), view the
sequence and timing for the assignment
rounds for all PEAs, and identify the
assignment rounds in which they will
be eligible to participate. Beginning the
next day, Wednesday, February 22,
2017, the Task Force and Bureau will
provide one practice auction
opportunity, and beginning on Tuesday,
February 28, 2017, will conduct one
mock auction for the assignment phase
of Auction 1002, according to the
schedule announced below. The first
round of forward auction assignment
phase bidding will begin on Monday,
March 6, 2017, and all assignment
rounds are scheduled to conclude by
Thursday, March 30, 2017.
2. The practice and mock auctions
will give clock phase winning bidders
an opportunity to become familiar with
the assignment phase bidding system
and to ask Commission auction and
technical support staff questions about
the system and the conduct of the
assignment phase. The Task Force and
Bureau strongly recommend that all
clock phase winning bidders participate
in the practice and mock auctions for
the assignment phase of the forward
auction.
3. The Task Force and Bureau
announce the availability of the ‘‘FCC
Incentive Auction Forward Auction
Assignment Phase Bidding System User
Guide,’’ which describes the features of
the system that will be used to bid in
the assignment phase of the forward
auction and which provides detailed
instructions for bidding and viewing
results and payment information from
the assignment phase. The Task Force
and Bureau also announce the
availability of an online tutorial on
bidding in the forward auction
assignment phase, which explains the
structure of the assignment phase, the
process for determining winning
assignments and associated payments,
and the calculation of final auction
payments. Both the user guide and
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tutorial are available in electronic form
under the ‘‘Education’’ section of the
Auction 1002 Web site (www.fcc.gov/
auctions/1002) and will remain
available and accessible on the Auction
1002 Web page for reference. The Task
Force and Bureau recommend that
bidders eligible to participate in the
assignment phase thoroughly review the
user guide and the tutorial to prepare for
bidding in the assignment phase.
I. Assignment Phase Bidding System
Availability and Data
4. Bidders eligible to participate in the
assignment phase will be able to log in
to the assignment phase bidding system
for a preview period using a link for the
system that will be mailed to each
bidder. Bidders will be able to access
the system during the preview period
between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, February 21, 2017, the day
before the assignment phase practice
auction begins. Before the assignment
phase begins, eligible bidders will be
able to access information about their
bidding options for each PEA in which
they had clock phase winnings, the
grouping of PEAs for bidding in each
assignment round, and the sequencing
of the assignment rounds. The following
information will be available to bidders
in the system before bidding in the
assignment phase begins:
5. Contiguity Outcome. The contiguity
outcome for each PEA or PEA group
will be available in the system. Because
all blocks are contiguous and of the
same category (Category 1) under the
band plan associated with the 84
megahertz clearing target of the final
stage, it will be possible to assign every
winning bidder from the clock phase
contiguous blocks of frequency-specific
licenses, regardless of whether they bid
in the assignment phase.
6. Grouping of PEAs for Bidding.
Bidders will be able to view whether
any PEAs have been grouped for
purposes of bidding in the assignment
phase. PEAs will be grouped for bidding
in the same assignment round if the
same bidders won the same number of
blocks in each of the PEAs in the group,
and if all of the PEAs in the group are
either high-demand PEAs or in the same
Regional Economic Area Grouping
(REAG) and either subject to the small
market bidding credit cap or not subject
to the cap. The same assignment will be
made for all of the PEAs in the group.
7. Bidding Options. Bidders can
download their full list of bidding
options provided in the ‘‘My Bids and
Options’’ download. This file provides
information about all of the bidding
options available to the bidder for all
assignment rounds in which it can bid,
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based on its winnings in the clock
phase. This file can also be used to
upload bids. Consistent with the
contiguity outcome described above,
each bidder’s bidding options for a PEA
will be all of the contiguous options
consistent with the bidder’s clock phase
winnings.
8. Detailed Schedule of Rounds. The
full schedule of assignment rounds will
be available for viewing in the system.
The assignment rounds will begin on
Monday, March 6, 2017. The bidding
system has already determined that
there will be seventy-four assignment
rounds based on the number of PEAs
that can be grouped together for
bidding. We expect to conduct four
assignment rounds per day; therefore,
we anticipate that the assignment phase
will conclude on Thursday, March 30,
2017. The high-demand PEAs will be
assigned first—in decreasing order of
weighted pops—one PEA (or PEA
group) per assignment round. Once the
high-demand PEAs have been assigned,
the remaining PEAs within each of the
six REAGs will be assigned, with
parallel bidding taking place for a PEA
(or PEA group) in as many as six REAGs
during the same assignment bidding
round. Within each REAG, bidding will
take place in order of decreasing
weighted pops.
9. Access to the actual assignment
phase data will be suspended during the
practice and mock auction, but will
become available again at 10:00 a.m. ET
on Friday, March 3, 2017—three days
before bidding in the assignment phase
begins. During the practice and mock
auctions, bidders will continue to log in
using the same link they use for
assignment phase bidding.
II. Assignment Phase Practice Auction
10. For the assignment phase practice
auction, the bidding system will use the
actual PEAs in the incentive auction,
but bidders will not necessarily be
assigned PEAs in which they have clock
phase winnings. Each clock phase
winning bidder will be assigned a
randomly-selected set of PEAs on which
it may bid. Each bidder’s assigned
practice PEAs will determine the
assignment rounds in which it may bid
in the practice auction. Bidding in the
practice auction will not predict actual
bidding in the assignment phase of the
forward auction.
A. Practice Auction Design
11. Each bidder will be randomly
assigned practice winnings in PEAs to
provide an opportunity to participate in
at least the same number rounds in the
practice auction as it will have in the
actual assignment phase, up to a
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maximum of five rounds. For example,
if a clock phase winner has actual
winnings in PEAs in four rounds of the
assignment phase, it will be randomly
assigned PEAs in at least four rounds for
the practice auction. If a clock phase
winner has actual winnings in PEAs in
more than five rounds of the assignment
phase, it will be randomly assigned
PEAs in five rounds for the practice
auction.
12. Bidders’ assigned practice
winnings will enable them to simulate
the experience they will have in the
assignment phase. Accordingly, if a
bidder’s clock phase winnings include
any blocks in any of the high-demand
PEAs, then the bidder will be randomly
assigned practice winnings in one highdemand PEA or PEA group. A bidder
that does not have clock phase winnings
in any high-demand PEA will not be
assigned practice winnings in a highdemand PEA and will not be able to
practice bidding in an assignment round
for a high-demand PEA or PEA group.
If a bidder has clock phase winnings in
multiple REAGs that will be assigned in
the same assignment round, its assigned
practice winnings will include PEAs or
PEA groups in multiple REAGs that will
be assigned in the same round. If a
bidder does not have clock phase
winnings in multiple REAGs that will
be assigned in the same assignment
round, its assigned practice winnings
may or may not include PEAs or PEA
groups in multiple REAGs that will be
assigned in the same round.
13. In each PEA, a bidder will be
randomly assigned either one or two
blocks, and each bidder’s practice clock
phase winnings will include both
reserved and unreserved blocks in at
least one PEA. Each bidder will be
eligible for its actual forward auction
bidding credit in the practice auction.
B. Practice Auction Schedule
14. The assignment phase practice
auction will begin on Wednesday,
February 22, 2017, and continue
through Friday, February 24, 2017.
Bidders will be able to preview
assignment phase practice auction data
beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on
Wednesday, February 22, 2017, and
three practice assignment rounds will be
conducted that afternoon with bidding
for assignments in high-demand PEAs.
The second and third days of the
practice auction will consist of four
practice assignment rounds each day
and will include bidding for
assignments in non-high-demand PEAs,
with bidding conducted for PEAs in up
to six REAGs during each round.
15. When the assignment phase
practice auction data preview period
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11917
begins, bidders will be able to access the
system to download the file of
assignment phase practice bidding
options and to see the order of the
assignment rounds for the PEAs in
which they have assignment phase
practice PEA selections.
16. The assignment phase practice
auction will occur as follows:
February 22, 2017
Preview Period—10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
ET
Practice Assignment Round—12:00
p.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round—2:00 p.m.–
3:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round—4:00 p.m.–
5:00 p.m. ET
February 23, 2017 and February 24,
2017
Practice Assignment Round—10:00
a.m.–11:00 a.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round—12:00
p.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round—2:00 p.m.–
3:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round—4:00 p.m.–
5:00 p.m. ET
17. Bidders that participate in the
assignment phase practice auction will
have the ability to use all features of the
assignment phase bidding system, as in
the actual assignment phase bidding
rounds.
III. Assignment Phase Mock Auction
18. The assignment phase mock
auction will provide winning clock
phase bidders with a final opportunity,
after their experience during the
practice auction, to bid in simulated
assignment phase rounds. As with the
practice assignment rounds, the mock
auction will allow participants to
become more familiar with the
assignment phase bidding system and to
ask Commission staff questions they
may have in advance of the actual
assignment phase of Auction 1002.
19. The assignment phase mock
auction will begin on Tuesday, February
28, 2017, and continue through
Thursday, March 2, 2017. As in the
practice auction, there will be a preview
period on the morning of the first day
of the assignment phase mock auction,
and three mock assignment rounds will
be conducted that afternoon with
bidding for assignments in high-demand
PEAs. The second and third days of the
mock auction will consist of six practice
assignment rounds each day and will
include bidding for assignments in nonhigh-demand PEAs, with bidding
conducted for PEAs in up to six REAGs
during each round.
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20. Clock phase winners will again be
randomly assigned clock phase
winnings for the assignment phase
mock auction. Similar to the practice
auction, each bidder will be randomly
assigned practice winnings in PEAs that
will provide an opportunity to
participate in at least the same number
rounds in the mock auction as it will
have in the actual assignment phase, up
to a maximum of 10 rounds. Other than
the number of assigned rounds, the
mock auction will use the same criteria
for assigning PEAs to bidders as
described above for the assignment
phase practice auction.
21. The assignment phase mock
auction will occur as follows:
February 28, 2017
Preview Period—10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
ET
Mock Assignment Round—12:00 p.m.–
1:00 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—2:00 p.m.–
3:00 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—4:00 p.m.–
5:00 p.m. ET
March 1, 2017 and March 2, 2017
Mock Assignment Round—10:00 a.m.–
10:40 a.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—11:00 a.m.–
11:40 a.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—12:00 p.m.–
12:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—2:00 p.m.–
2:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—3:00 p.m.–
3:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round—4:00 p.m.–
4:40 p.m. ET
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IV. Bidder Questions During the
Assignment Phase, Including the
Practice and Mock Auctions
22. Commission auction staff will be
available during the assignment phase
practice and mock auctions and the
actual assignment phase bidding
rounds. Only a person who has been
designated as an authorized bidder, the
contact person, or the certifying official
on the qualified bidder’s FCC Form 175
should call on behalf of a bidder. To
place bids by telephone or to ask timesensitive questions during the auction,
an authorized bidder must use the FCC
Auction Bidder Line telephone number
supplied in the registration materials
and have his or her login information
and RSA SecurID® token available.
Bidders can also use the messaging
function of the bidding system for nontime-sensitive questions or suggestions.
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Federal Communications Commission.
Gary D. Michaels,
Deputy Chief, Auctions and Spectrum Access
Division, WTB.
[FR Doc. 2017–03830 Filed 2–22–17; 4:15 pm]
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
[Notice–WWICC–2017–01; Docket No. 2017–
0003; Sequence 1]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
World War One Centennial
Commission; Notification of Change to
Upcoming Public Advisory Meeting
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Notice of Proposals To Engage In or
To Acquire Companies Engaged in
Permissible Nonbanking Activities
World War One Centennial
Commission.
ACTION: Meeting notice.
AGENCY:
Notice of this meeting is being
provided according to the requirements
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
5 U.S.C. App. 10(a)(2). This notice
provides the schedule and agenda for
the March 22, 2017 meeting of the
World War One Centennial Commission
(the Commission). The meeting is open
to the public via telephone, first come,
first served.
DATES: Effective: February 27, 2017.
MEETING DATE: The meeting will be held
on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 starting
at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Saving
Time (EDST), and ending no later than
2:00 p.m., EDST. The meeting will be
held via teleconference. The meeting
will be open for the public to dial in on
a first come first served basis by dialing
712–432–1001 and entering Access
Code: 474845614#. Note this is not a
toll-free number.
Written Comments may be submitted
to the Commission and will be made
part of the permanent record of the
Commission. Comments must be
received by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight
Saving Time (EDST), on March 17,
2017, and may be provided by email to
daniel.dayton@
worldwar1centennial.gov. Contact
Daniel S. Dayton at daniel.dayton@
worldwar1centennial.org to register to
comment during the meeting’s 30minute public comment period.
Registered speakers/organizations will
be allowed five minutes and will need
to provide written copies of their
presentations. Requests to comment,
together with presentations for the
meeting, must be received by 5:00 p.m.,
EDST, on Friday, March 17, 2017.
Please contact Mr. Dayton at the email
address above to obtain meeting
materials.
SUMMARY:
The companies listed in the notice
have given notice under the Home
Owners Loan Act (HOLA) (12 U.S.C.
1461 et seq.) and Regulation LL (12 CFR
part 238) or Regulation MM (12 CFR
part 239) to engage de novo, or to
acquire or control voting securities or
assets of a company, including the
companies listed below, that engages
either directly or through a subsidiary or
other company, in a nonbanking activity
that is described in § 238.53 or 238.54
of Regulation LL (12 CFR 238.53 or
238.54) or § 239.8 of Regulation MM (12
CFR 239.8). Unless otherwise noted,
these activities will be conducted
throughout the United States.
Each notice is available for inspection
at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated.
The notice also will be available for
inspection at the offices of the Board of
Governors. Interested persons may
express their views in writing on the
question whether the proposal complies
with the standards of section
10a(c)(4)(B) of HOLA (12 U.S.C.
1467a(c)(4)(B)).
Unless otherwise noted, comments
regarding each of these applications
must be received at the Reserve Bank
indicated or the offices of the Board of
Governors not later than March 23,
2017.
A. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
(Prabal Chakrabarti, Senior Vice
President) 600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston,
Massachusetts 02210–2204. Comments
can also be sent electronically to
BOS.SRC.Applications.Comments@
bos.frb.org:
1. Admirals Bancorp, Inc., Boston,
Massachusetts; Federal One Holdings,
LLC and Lazares and Company, LLC,
both of Milton, Massachusetts; to engage
in lending activities pursuant to 12 CFR
238.54 and 12 CFR 225.28(b)(1), (b)(2).
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, February 22, 2017.
Yao-Chin Chao,
Assistant Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2017–03827 Filed 2–24–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Daniel S. Dayton, Designated Federal
Officer, World War 1 Centennial
Commission, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., 123, Washington, DC 20004–2608,
at 202–380–0725 (note: this is not a tollfree number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM
27FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11915-11918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03830]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[GN Docket No. 12-268; AU Docket No. 14-252; WT Docket No. 12-269; DA
17-142]
Information Concerning the Assignment Phase of the Forward
Auction (Auction 1002), Including the Schedule for Practice and Mock
Auctions; Availability of Assignment Phase User Guide and Online
Tutorial; Assignment Phase Bidding Begins March 6, 2017
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Incentive Auction Task Force (Task
Force) and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) announce
information regarding the assignment phase of the forward auction
(Auction 1002), including the schedule
[[Page 11916]]
for the practice and mock auctions. Specifically, the Task Force and
Bureau announce the availability of the assignment phase bidding system
and assignment phase data; the assignment phase practice and mock
auction design and schedule; the start date, and scheduled conclusion
date, for assignment phase bidding; and the availability of educational
and informational materials to help bidders prepare for the assignment
phase.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the
practice and mock auctions, contact Melissa Dunford,
Melissa.Dunford@fcc.gov, (202) 418-0617, or Jonathan McCormack,
Jonathan.McCormack@fcc.gov, (202) 418-1065. For general auction
questions, contact Linda Sanderson, Linda.Sanderson@fcc.gov, (717) 338-
2868. For forward auction legal questions, contact Valerie Barrish,
Valerie.Barrish@fcc.gov, (202) 418-0660, or Scott Mackoul,
Scott.Mackoul@fcc.gov, (202) 418-0660. Press contact: Charles Meisch,
Charles.Meisch@fcc.gov, (202) 418-2943. For technical support
questions, contact the FCC Auctions Technical Support Hotline at (877)
480-3201, option nine; (202) 414-1250; or TTY: (202) 414-1255 (open
8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's
document, AU Docket No. 14-252, GN Docket No. 12-268, WT Docket No. 12-
269; DA 17-142, released February 14, 2017. The complete text of this
document is available for public inspection and copying from 8:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday or from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
ET on Fridays in the FCC Reference Information Center, 445 12th Street
SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. The complete text is also
available on the Commission's Web site at https://wireless.fcc.gov, the
Auction 1000 Web site at https://www.fcc.gov/auctions/1000, or by using
the search function on the ECFS Web page at https://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Alternative formats are available to persons with disabilities
by sending an email to FCC504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432
(TTY).
Synopsis
1. The Incentive Auction Task Force (Task Force) and the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) provide information regarding the
assignment phase of the forward auction (Auction 1002) of the broadcast
television spectrum incentive auction. The assignment phase is designed
to give highest priority to assigning bidders within a Partial Economic
Area (PEA) contiguous blocks of spectrum to the extent possible and to
simplify the bidding process. Bidders that won at least one block of
paired spectrum in one PEA in the forward auction clock phase are
eligible to participate in the forward auction assignment phase.
Bidders eligible to participate in the assignment phase will be able to
log in to the assignment phase bidding system between 10 a.m. and 6
p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, to download their assignment
phase bidding options (which correspond to their clock phase winnings),
view the sequence and timing for the assignment rounds for all PEAs,
and identify the assignment rounds in which they will be eligible to
participate. Beginning the next day, Wednesday, February 22, 2017, the
Task Force and Bureau will provide one practice auction opportunity,
and beginning on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, will conduct one mock
auction for the assignment phase of Auction 1002, according to the
schedule announced below. The first round of forward auction assignment
phase bidding will begin on Monday, March 6, 2017, and all assignment
rounds are scheduled to conclude by Thursday, March 30, 2017.
2. The practice and mock auctions will give clock phase winning
bidders an opportunity to become familiar with the assignment phase
bidding system and to ask Commission auction and technical support
staff questions about the system and the conduct of the assignment
phase. The Task Force and Bureau strongly recommend that all clock
phase winning bidders participate in the practice and mock auctions for
the assignment phase of the forward auction.
3. The Task Force and Bureau announce the availability of the ``FCC
Incentive Auction Forward Auction Assignment Phase Bidding System User
Guide,'' which describes the features of the system that will be used
to bid in the assignment phase of the forward auction and which
provides detailed instructions for bidding and viewing results and
payment information from the assignment phase. The Task Force and
Bureau also announce the availability of an online tutorial on bidding
in the forward auction assignment phase, which explains the structure
of the assignment phase, the process for determining winning
assignments and associated payments, and the calculation of final
auction payments. Both the user guide and tutorial are available in
electronic form under the ``Education'' section of the Auction 1002 Web
site (www.fcc.gov/auctions/1002) and will remain available and
accessible on the Auction 1002 Web page for reference. The Task Force
and Bureau recommend that bidders eligible to participate in the
assignment phase thoroughly review the user guide and the tutorial to
prepare for bidding in the assignment phase.
I. Assignment Phase Bidding System Availability and Data
4. Bidders eligible to participate in the assignment phase will be
able to log in to the assignment phase bidding system for a preview
period using a link for the system that will be mailed to each bidder.
Bidders will be able to access the system during the preview period
between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, the day
before the assignment phase practice auction begins. Before the
assignment phase begins, eligible bidders will be able to access
information about their bidding options for each PEA in which they had
clock phase winnings, the grouping of PEAs for bidding in each
assignment round, and the sequencing of the assignment rounds. The
following information will be available to bidders in the system before
bidding in the assignment phase begins:
5. Contiguity Outcome. The contiguity outcome for each PEA or PEA
group will be available in the system. Because all blocks are
contiguous and of the same category (Category 1) under the band plan
associated with the 84 megahertz clearing target of the final stage, it
will be possible to assign every winning bidder from the clock phase
contiguous blocks of frequency-specific licenses, regardless of whether
they bid in the assignment phase.
6. Grouping of PEAs for Bidding. Bidders will be able to view
whether any PEAs have been grouped for purposes of bidding in the
assignment phase. PEAs will be grouped for bidding in the same
assignment round if the same bidders won the same number of blocks in
each of the PEAs in the group, and if all of the PEAs in the group are
either high-demand PEAs or in the same Regional Economic Area Grouping
(REAG) and either subject to the small market bidding credit cap or not
subject to the cap. The same assignment will be made for all of the
PEAs in the group.
7. Bidding Options. Bidders can download their full list of bidding
options provided in the ``My Bids and Options'' download. This file
provides information about all of the bidding options available to the
bidder for all assignment rounds in which it can bid,
[[Page 11917]]
based on its winnings in the clock phase. This file can also be used to
upload bids. Consistent with the contiguity outcome described above,
each bidder's bidding options for a PEA will be all of the contiguous
options consistent with the bidder's clock phase winnings.
8. Detailed Schedule of Rounds. The full schedule of assignment
rounds will be available for viewing in the system. The assignment
rounds will begin on Monday, March 6, 2017. The bidding system has
already determined that there will be seventy-four assignment rounds
based on the number of PEAs that can be grouped together for bidding.
We expect to conduct four assignment rounds per day; therefore, we
anticipate that the assignment phase will conclude on Thursday, March
30, 2017. The high-demand PEAs will be assigned first--in decreasing
order of weighted pops--one PEA (or PEA group) per assignment round.
Once the high-demand PEAs have been assigned, the remaining PEAs within
each of the six REAGs will be assigned, with parallel bidding taking
place for a PEA (or PEA group) in as many as six REAGs during the same
assignment bidding round. Within each REAG, bidding will take place in
order of decreasing weighted pops.
9. Access to the actual assignment phase data will be suspended
during the practice and mock auction, but will become available again
at 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday, March 3, 2017--three days before bidding in
the assignment phase begins. During the practice and mock auctions,
bidders will continue to log in using the same link they use for
assignment phase bidding.
II. Assignment Phase Practice Auction
10. For the assignment phase practice auction, the bidding system
will use the actual PEAs in the incentive auction, but bidders will not
necessarily be assigned PEAs in which they have clock phase winnings.
Each clock phase winning bidder will be assigned a randomly-selected
set of PEAs on which it may bid. Each bidder's assigned practice PEAs
will determine the assignment rounds in which it may bid in the
practice auction. Bidding in the practice auction will not predict
actual bidding in the assignment phase of the forward auction.
A. Practice Auction Design
11. Each bidder will be randomly assigned practice winnings in PEAs
to provide an opportunity to participate in at least the same number
rounds in the practice auction as it will have in the actual assignment
phase, up to a maximum of five rounds. For example, if a clock phase
winner has actual winnings in PEAs in four rounds of the assignment
phase, it will be randomly assigned PEAs in at least four rounds for
the practice auction. If a clock phase winner has actual winnings in
PEAs in more than five rounds of the assignment phase, it will be
randomly assigned PEAs in five rounds for the practice auction.
12. Bidders' assigned practice winnings will enable them to
simulate the experience they will have in the assignment phase.
Accordingly, if a bidder's clock phase winnings include any blocks in
any of the high-demand PEAs, then the bidder will be randomly assigned
practice winnings in one high-demand PEA or PEA group. A bidder that
does not have clock phase winnings in any high-demand PEA will not be
assigned practice winnings in a high-demand PEA and will not be able to
practice bidding in an assignment round for a high-demand PEA or PEA
group. If a bidder has clock phase winnings in multiple REAGs that will
be assigned in the same assignment round, its assigned practice
winnings will include PEAs or PEA groups in multiple REAGs that will be
assigned in the same round. If a bidder does not have clock phase
winnings in multiple REAGs that will be assigned in the same assignment
round, its assigned practice winnings may or may not include PEAs or
PEA groups in multiple REAGs that will be assigned in the same round.
13. In each PEA, a bidder will be randomly assigned either one or
two blocks, and each bidder's practice clock phase winnings will
include both reserved and unreserved blocks in at least one PEA. Each
bidder will be eligible for its actual forward auction bidding credit
in the practice auction.
B. Practice Auction Schedule
14. The assignment phase practice auction will begin on Wednesday,
February 22, 2017, and continue through Friday, February 24, 2017.
Bidders will be able to preview assignment phase practice auction data
beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, and three
practice assignment rounds will be conducted that afternoon with
bidding for assignments in high-demand PEAs. The second and third days
of the practice auction will consist of four practice assignment rounds
each day and will include bidding for assignments in non-high-demand
PEAs, with bidding conducted for PEAs in up to six REAGs during each
round.
15. When the assignment phase practice auction data preview period
begins, bidders will be able to access the system to download the file
of assignment phase practice bidding options and to see the order of
the assignment rounds for the PEAs in which they have assignment phase
practice PEA selections.
16. The assignment phase practice auction will occur as follows:
February 22, 2017
Preview Period--10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
February 23, 2017 and February 24, 2017
Practice Assignment Round--10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET
Practice Assignment Round--4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
17. Bidders that participate in the assignment phase practice
auction will have the ability to use all features of the assignment
phase bidding system, as in the actual assignment phase bidding rounds.
III. Assignment Phase Mock Auction
18. The assignment phase mock auction will provide winning clock
phase bidders with a final opportunity, after their experience during
the practice auction, to bid in simulated assignment phase rounds. As
with the practice assignment rounds, the mock auction will allow
participants to become more familiar with the assignment phase bidding
system and to ask Commission staff questions they may have in advance
of the actual assignment phase of Auction 1002.
19. The assignment phase mock auction will begin on Tuesday,
February 28, 2017, and continue through Thursday, March 2, 2017. As in
the practice auction, there will be a preview period on the morning of
the first day of the assignment phase mock auction, and three mock
assignment rounds will be conducted that afternoon with bidding for
assignments in high-demand PEAs. The second and third days of the mock
auction will consist of six practice assignment rounds each day and
will include bidding for assignments in non-high-demand PEAs, with
bidding conducted for PEAs in up to six REAGs during each round.
[[Page 11918]]
20. Clock phase winners will again be randomly assigned clock phase
winnings for the assignment phase mock auction. Similar to the practice
auction, each bidder will be randomly assigned practice winnings in
PEAs that will provide an opportunity to participate in at least the
same number rounds in the mock auction as it will have in the actual
assignment phase, up to a maximum of 10 rounds. Other than the number
of assigned rounds, the mock auction will use the same criteria for
assigning PEAs to bidders as described above for the assignment phase
practice auction.
21. The assignment phase mock auction will occur as follows:
February 28, 2017
Preview Period--10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
March 1, 2017 and March 2, 2017
Mock Assignment Round--10:00 a.m.-10:40 a.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--11:00 a.m.-11:40 a.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--12:00 p.m.-12:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--2:00 p.m.-2:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--3:00 p.m.-3:40 p.m. ET
Mock Assignment Round--4:00 p.m.-4:40 p.m. ET
IV. Bidder Questions During the Assignment Phase, Including the
Practice and Mock Auctions
22. Commission auction staff will be available during the
assignment phase practice and mock auctions and the actual assignment
phase bidding rounds. Only a person who has been designated as an
authorized bidder, the contact person, or the certifying official on
the qualified bidder's FCC Form 175 should call on behalf of a bidder.
To place bids by telephone or to ask time-sensitive questions during
the auction, an authorized bidder must use the FCC Auction Bidder Line
telephone number supplied in the registration materials and have his or
her login information and RSA SecurID[supreg] token available. Bidders
can also use the messaging function of the bidding system for non-time-
sensitive questions or suggestions.
Federal Communications Commission.
Gary D. Michaels,
Deputy Chief, Auctions and Spectrum Access Division, WTB.
[FR Doc. 2017-03830 Filed 2-22-17; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P