August 18, 1995 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU CHIEF REGINA KEENEY AND FCC GENERAL COUNSEL WILLIAM KENNARD REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO MOVE FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY WITH BROADBAND PCS "C BLOCK" AUCTION FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Regina Keeney and FCC General Counsel William Kennard today reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to move forward with the broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) "C Block" auction as expeditiously as possible after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules on a challenge to the auction rules. Keeney and Kennard emphasize that the expeditious auctioning and licensing of C Block licenses remains one of the Commission's top priorities. "We are confident that the Commission will prevail on the merits in this litigation," they said, "and we will have the auction back on track as soon as the court rules on this matter." Several rule provisions pertaining to the C Block auction, which was scheduled for August 29, are the subject of litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The court has ordered an expedited briefing schedule for the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for September 28. The C Block auction will be a significant opportunity for small businesses and new entrants to participate in the communications marketplace, Keeney and Kennard observe. They note that new entrants in the PCS service will provide an important source of competition in the wireless arena. -FCC- News Media contact: Stacey Reuben Mesa at (202) 418-0654. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contact: Amy Zoslov at (202) 418-0660.