One task the FCC confronts frequently is a request to extend the deadline for commenting on one proceeding or another. This time, the proposal was self-generated.
In this case, the FCC stated that the AWS-3 auction is providing a great deal of fodder for prospective incentive auction participants to chew on.
This is particularly true as it seeks to craft “…rules governing competitive bidding for spectrum licenses to reflect changes in the marketplace.”
As the AWS-3 auction is not yet complete (and likely because it has been light years more successful than anticipated), the FCC of its own volition extended the deadline to comment in the incentive auction proceeding.
The new deadline for comments is 2/6/15, and the deadline for reply comments is 2/26/15.
The FCC explained, “Extending the deadlines for comments and reply comments in this proceeding for an additional two weeks as set forth herein should continue to serve our objective of increasing the likelihood that interested parties will be able to take into account more complete information about the results of the bidding.”
RBR-TVBR observation: Usually, when the FCC addresses an extension request, even if it’s granted, the petitioner gets a little lecture on how the FCC doesn’t like to grant extensions and there are high hurdles, etcetera, etcetera and etcetera.
We suspect there is less trouble slamming an extension home when the FCC itself is the one making the motion. Nevertheless, the FCC gave itself a version of the same lecture. It stated, “Although extensions of time are not routinely granted, we do so here to promote more thoroughly considered comments and replies in this proceeding, which is our first comprehensive look at these rules in years.”
So we hereby award the FCC seven bonus points for consistency. The points are worthless, but we hope that the good folks at the Commission find a way to enjoy them anyhow.
