An order on 700 MHz auction rules is still likely at the FCC's Dec. 18 meeting, and lobbying is picking up. APCO and the Public Safety Spectrum Trust were at the commission this week for meetings. Motorola said in a filing that the FCC significantly underestimated the costs of relocating some narrowband public safety operations in the 700 MHz band. Chairman Kevin Martin probably will "force a vote in December," but many at the commission remained concerned that the matter isn't "ready for prime time," said an FCC official. Another commission official said, "The wild card is how active are the jurisdictions interested in the regional approach going to be, because so far they haven't been particularly active." An industry executive said, "With this commission you never know. The toughest part is do they allow for regional licenses or not ... and the second thing is what requirements they'll impose on the D-block winner." nnHarlin McEwen, the chairman of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, met with Chief Derek Poarch and other senior officials of the FCC's Public Safety Bureau. McEwen said he explained why the trust wants the FCC to cap his organization's annual reimbursement at $10 million rather than the $5 million that the commission has proposed. He said the trust's expenses are difficult to figure before an agreement is negotiated with the D- block licensee or licensees after the auction. McEwen said they also discussed the trust's need for a one-shot payment to cover legal fees and other expenses. But he said much of the conversation concerned the cost of moving 47 public-safety agencies running narrowband radio systems in spectrum set aside for the use under the FCC's original band plan. They have to move after the commission changed the plan to clear the way for a national broadband network in the D block. The trust estimates that their relocation costs, to be paid by the D-block licensee, exceed $73 million. The FCC proposed that they get only a total of $27 million.
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