Satellite Largely Precluded From CAF II Reverse Auction, Hughes Says

Connect America Fund Phase II bid weighting rules adopted in February (see 1702230019) "will effectively preclude" satellite operators from taking part in the reverse auction, which will hurt American consumers, Hughes Network Systems told the FCC. In an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 10-90, the company recapped a meeting between Senior Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Manner and an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at which the company said satellite is too heavily handicapped by the weights given to latency and baseline 25/3 Mbps service.