Hon. James H. Quello
                            Senior Commissioner
                     Federal Communications Commission

                           Broadband PCS Auction
                              March 14, 1995



The significance of these auctions cannot be overstated.  They represent the
single largest peacetime investment by an industry and the largest auction
ever conducted by any government.  These auctions are the result of the
vision of our government to put in place a new system of licensing and the
culmination of extraordinary and sustained efforts by the Federal
Communications Commission staff at all levels.

During my tenure at the FCC, I have been privileged to participate in the
evolving regulatory policies that spawned the creation of advanced mobile
communications.  Since 1979, the Commission pointed out the benefits of
auctions for non-broadcast services and had sought statutory authority to
implement the proposal developed by the FCC's Office of Plans and Policy
to use competitive bidding to license new mobile communications services. 
Congress mandated such responsibility while I served as Chairman in 1993. 

There are too many people to thank individually; we are the beneficiaries of
a team effort that was initiated under my Chairmanship despite those who
said we had other issues on our very full regulatory plate.  But we did it all,
whether it was cable implementation, resolution of the financial syndication
rules, or developing the allocation, eligibility and licensing procedures for 
Personal Communications Services.  And doing so by a new method, 
auctions.

There were those that said it could not be done in the short timeframe
allotted -- that the FCC could not promulgate the complex yet flexible
regulatory scheme that would provide the next generation of advanced
mobile communications.   I,  however -- based on my twenty-year experience
at the FCC -- knew that it not only could be done but that it would be done -
- and done well.

I made the expeditious roll-out of PCS a top priority during my Chairmanship. 
The initial Report and Order was made possible by tremendous  dedication
by the FCC staff, working overtime.  (Monetarily uncompensated overtime,
at that).  Under the vigorous leadership of Chairman Hundt, the Commission 
fine-tuned and issued the final rules in less than one year.

So, we find ourselves here today, a great achievement in record time.  I want
to thank the participants and wish the wining bidders every success.  We
have done our job; now you can do yours.  We are at the starting line of a
new era in mobile communications.  The winning bidders  will change the
nature of communications in our great country and perhaps the world.  All
Americans will benefit from your efforts.  U.S. industry has shown the way
to our technological future in the coming century.