Dish May Have To Pay Full Price for AWS-3 Licenses

The FCC appears increasingly likely to require Dish Network to pay out the extra $3.3 billion it saved during the AWS-3 auction by buying AWS-3 licenses using bidding credits through two designated entities (DEs), industry officials said. The Wireless Bureau has been looking closely at the bidding by SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless, the two DEs working with Dish in the auction, industry sources confirmed. Chairman Tom Wheeler repeatedly has said the FCC would look closely at bidding in the auction (see 1504090053). Other carriers have been at the commission laying out their versions of how the bidding by the DEs allegedly violated rules, most recently Verizon (see 1504270042). Dish has said repeatedly it did no wrong in the auction and its use of the DEs was in keeping with FCC rules. A wireless carrier official said it wouldn't appear to be “in Tom Wheeler’s DNA” to approve the AWS-3 licenses for Dish at the reduced prices. Industry sources said it's within the FCC's power to offer the licenses to Dish at full price. “It's a Solomonic decision by Chairman Wheeler,” said Roger Entner, analyst at Recon Analytics. “It makes the taxpayer whole and gives Dish, through its partners, quick access to the spectrum.” The FCC declined to comment.