The Commission released a Public Notice announcing that AST Telecom d/b/a/ Bluesky (“Bluesky”) and Club 42 CM (“Club 42”) (collectively, “the Applicants”) have filed an application seeking the assignment of a Lower 700 MHz B Block License and a Lower 700 MHz E Block license to Bluesky, covering American Samoa. The Commission accepted the application for filing and established a pleading cycle on September 19, 2016 (WT Docket No. 16-264).
The Applicants maintain the transaction would provide Bluesky with additional spectrum to expand and deploy LTE coverage in Cellular Market Area 733. Preliminary review of the transaction indicates that Bluesky would be assigned 18 MHz of Lower 700 MHz spectrum covering five counties of American Samoa, and would hold 80 to 105 MHz of spectrum post-transaction, including 30 to 55 MHz of below-1-Ghz spectrum. Bluesky would therefore hold more than one-third (more than 45 MHz) of the 134 MHz of suitable and available below-1-GHz spectrum in two of the five counties in this transaction, triggering enhanced factor review in the case-by-case analysis.
Petitions to Deny due: October 12, 2016
Oppositions due: October 19, 2016
Replies due: October 26, 2016
Related releases:
Letter to AST
Letter to Club 42CM
Questions for AST
Questions for Club42
Protective Order
NRUF/LNP Protective Order
Please contact us with any questions.