Summary

November 13, 2014 - January 29, 2015
Rounds:
341
Bidding Days:
45
Qualified Bidders:
70
Winning Bidders:
31 Bidders won 1611 Licenses
Licenses Held by FCC:
3
Gross Bids:
$44,899,451,600
Net Bids:
$41,329,673,325
Maps & Band Plans
Band Plans Files
General Information

9/22/2023
LETTER (DA 23-896)
Final Bid Withdrawal Payment for Advantage Spectrum, L.P.
Order Announcing the Availability of a Partial Refund of Advantage Spectrum L.P.'s Withdrawal Payment in Auction 97

11/23/2020
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ON REMAND (FCC 20-160)
FCC Decides SNR and Northstar Are Ineligible for Bidding Credits
Finds that Northstar and SNR are still controlled by DISH Network and therefore remain ineligible for the $3.3 billion in bidding credits that they sought for the licenses they won in Auction 97

10/1/2015
LETTER (DA 15-1108)
Northstar Wireless, LLC, Notice of Interim Default Payment Obligation for Auction 97 Licenses

10/1/2015
LETTER (DA 15-1109)
SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC, Notice of Interim Default Payment Obligation for Auction 97 Licenses

8/18/2015
ORDER (FCC 15-104)
Order to Deny Small Business Credits to Northstar & SNR Wireless

Fact Sheet

Date:

Auction 97 began on 11/13/2014 and closed on 1/29/2015.

Licenses:

1,614 licenses total
Block A1: 176 Economic Area (EA) licenses
Block B1: 176 EA licenses
Block G: 734 Cellular Market Area (CMA) licenses
Block H: 176 EA licenses
Block I: 176 EA licenses
Block J: 176 EA licenses

Spectrum:

1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz bands ("AWS-3" bands)

Bandwidth:

65 megahertz total
Block A1: 1695-1700 MHz (5 MHz)
Block B1: 1700-1710 MHz (10 MHz)
Block G: 1755-1760/2155-2160 MHz (10 MHz)
Block H: 1760-1765/2160-2165 MHz (10 MHz)
Block I: 1765-1770/2165-2170 MHz (10 MHz)
Block J: 1770-1780/2170-2180 MHz (20MHz)

Winning Bidders:
31 Bidders won 1611 Licenses
Rounds:
341
Qualified Bidders:
70
Licenses Won:
1611
Licenses Held by FCC:
3
Total Licenses:
1614
Net Bids:
$41,329,673,325
Gross Bids:
$44,899,451,600
EventDate
Auction Tutorial Available (via Internet)
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Window Opens
8/28/2014; 12:00 noon ET
Form 175 (Short Form) Application Filing Deadline
9/12/2014; 6:00 p.m. ET
Upfront Payments Deadline
10/15/2014; 6:00 p.m. ET
Mock Auction
11/10/2014
Auction Start
11/13/2014
Auction Closed
1/29/2015
BlockFrequencies (MHz)Total BandwidthPairingGeographic Area TypeNumber of Licenses
A11695-1700 MHz5 MHzUnpairedEA176
B11700-1710 MHz10 MHzUnpairedEA176
G1755-1760/2155-2160 MHz10 MHz2 x 5 MHzCMA734
H1760-1765/2160-2165 MHz10 MHz2 x 5 MHzEA176
I1765-1770/2165-2170 MHz10 MHz2 x 5 MHzEA176
J1770-1780/2170-2180 MHz20 MHz2 x 10 MHzEA176
Reserve Price. There will be two aggregate reserve prices for the spectrum offered in Auction 97. The aggregate reserve price for the 1695-1710 MHz licenses is approximately $580 million, and the aggregate reserve price for the paired 1755-1780/2155-2180 MHz licenses is approximately $10 billion. See the Auction 97 Procedures Public Notice, DA 14-1018, for more detailed information.
 
Releases P

1/30/2015
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 15-131)
Auction of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) Licenses Closes; Winning Bidders Announced for Auction 97
AWS-3 Auction Closes; Down Payments and FCC Forms 601 and 602 Due February 13, 2015, Final Payments Due March 2, 2015, Ten-Day Petition to Deny Period.

11/12/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1638)
Request for Waiver of Federally Recognized Tribal Land under Section 1.2110(f)(3)(i) to Include Additional Areas within the Eastern Navajo Agency of the Navajo Nation
WTB grants waiver of 1.2110(f)(3)(i) definition to include additional areas within the Eastern Navajo Agency to allow any winning bidder in Auction 97 to seek eligibility for Tribal lands bidding credits (TLBC) in those underserved areas of New Mexico

10/30/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1564)
Auction of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) Licenses; 70 Bidders Qualified to Participate in Auction 97
Identifies 70 bidders qualified to participate in the upcoming AWS-3 Auction 97.

10/1/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1414)
Auction of Advanced Wireless Service (AWS-3) Licenses; Status of Short-Form Applications to Participate in Auction 97
Status of Short Form Applications to Participate in Auction 97.

9/30/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1423)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Informs Potential Auction 97 Bidders of Department of Defense Data on Experimental Operations Posted to NTIA's Website
Informing AWS-3 Auction Applicants of Posting of DoD Experimental Info.

9/16/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1340)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on Petition for Waiver Concerning the Availability of Tribal Lands Bidding Credits for Licenses Covering the Eastern Navajo Agency That May Be Won in Auction 97
Seeks comment on request to extend tribal land bidding credits to the Eastern Navajo Agency in New Mexico for any AWS - 3 licenses won in Auction 97.

9/10/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1314)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Informs Potential Auction 97 Applicants of Updated Department of Defense Workbook Posted to NTIA's Website

7/23/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1018)
Auction of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) Licenses Scheduled for November 13, 2014; Notice and Filing Requirements, Reserve Prices, Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments and other Procedures for Auction 97
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau establishes the procedures, reserve prices, and minimum opening bids for the upcoming auction of licenses in the 1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz and 2155-2180 MHz bands (AWS-3).

7/18/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-1023)
The Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration: Coordination Procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz Bands
Announcing coordination details for AWS-3.

5/19/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA-14-669)
Auction of Advanced Wireless Services Licenses Scheduled for November 13, 2014; Comment Sought on Competitive Bidding Procedures for Auction 97
Announces November 13, 2014, auction of AWS-3 licenses in the 1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz and 2155-2180 MHz bands, and seeks comment on auction procedures
Copies of comments and reply comments filed in response to this public notice may be found by using the search function of ECFS under proceeding 14-78 or through the FCC Reference Information Center, which is located at the Commission's Headquarters.

3/27/2014
PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 14-414)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on Request for Clarification or Waiver of The Commission's "Attributable Material Relationship" Rule
Comment Sought on Request to Clarify or Waive Section 1.2110(b)(3)(iv)(A).

Releases L

9/22/2023
LETTER (DA 23-896)
Final Bid Withdrawal Payment for Advantage Spectrum, L.P.
Order Announcing the Availability of a Partial Refund of Advantage Spectrum L.P.'s Withdrawal Payment in Auction 97

10/1/2015
LETTER (DA 15-1108)
Northstar Wireless, LLC, Notice of Interim Default Payment Obligation for Auction 97 Licenses
Assessed interim default payment for Northstar Wireless, LLC with respect to its participation in Auction 97

10/1/2015
LETTER (DA 15-1109)
SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC, Notice of Interim Default Payment Obligation for Auction 97 Licenses
Assessed interim default payment for SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC with respect to its participation in Auction 97

Releases O

11/23/2020
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ON REMAND (FCC 20-160)
FCC Decides SNR and Northstar Are Ineligible for Bidding Credits
Finds that Northstar and SNR are still controlled by DISH Network and therefore remain ineligible for the $3.3 billion in bidding credits that they sought for the licenses they won in Auction 97

Results (updated after each round)
Integrated Spectrum Auction System (opens new window)

Auction 97 Full Information Round Results Files

Auction 97 Limited Information Round Results Files

Auction Seminar

Education

Launch Auction Tutorial 
The above link will launch an interactive auction tutorial that will guide you through the auction process from beginning to end. The tutorial is a training tool for potential auction applicants and is not a substitute for reading the orders, rules, and public notices regarding this auction. The tutorial will highlight some of the information presented in these releases. In addition, the tutorial will demonstrate the FCC's web-based auction application and bidding system.

Technical Support, Questions, and Feedback:
For technical assistance, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at 877-480-3201 (option 9), 202-414-1250, or 202-414-1255 (TTY). All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded.

If you have any questions regarding information presented in the tutorial, please email them to auctionsinquiry@fcc.gov or use additional contact information provided in the tutorial.