FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comments on request for expedited waiver from Nextel subsidiary FCI 900 for 5-year construction period for 900 MHz major trading area (MTA) licenses. Nextel asked for extension of deadline from Aug. 12, 2001, to Aug. 12, 2004, for all 900 MHz MTA licensees. Commission rules require MTA licensees to provide coverage to at least 2/3 of population within 5 years of license’s being granted. One option for licensees is that they can demonstrate that they are providing substantial service. Nextel has told Commission that it needs waiver because equipment isn’t yet available to integrate 900 MHz MTA licensed spectrum into existing national 800 MHz iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network). Equipment won’t be available by Aug. 12 construction deadline. Nextel also said it planned to deploy 900 MHz pico cell technology to address coverage gaps and alleviate certain kinds of interference between its 800 MHz commercial operations and adjacent 800 MHz public safety communications systems in July. Nextel told agency that deployment of that technology would be delayed if it had to build analog 900 MHz systems to meet Aug. 12 construction deadline. Bureau is taking comments on waiver requests through Feb. 1, with replies due Feb. 8. Nextel is seeking expedited consideration of request because if it doesn’t get extension, it will have to order analog equipment in time to provide required coverage by existing deadline. Neoworld Licensing Holdings, which plans to deploy national 900 MHz digital dispatch system, is seeking similar waiver of 5-year construction period. Neoworld is seeking extension until Dec. 31, 2002, citing timelines needed for equipment delivery, testing, deployment.

FCC Enforcement Bureau fined SBC $94,500 for violating requirement that it post notices on its Internet site identifying central offices that have run out of physical colocation space. Notice requirement is one of conditions placed by FCC when it approved SBC-Ameritech merger. SBC spokesman said company didn’t dispute that it made “a few clerical errors.” However, “we think it was unfortunate that the Enforcement Bureau feels it necessary to propose a penalty for a few errors of this nature,” he said. Posting is necessary so CLECs don’t waste their time waiting for space in central office that can’t be provided instead of finding other ways to serve their customers. Violation occurred in audit period of Oct 8, 1999-June 8, 2000.

Internet telephony provider IP Services Inc. (IPS) said it would petition Colo. PUC for guidance on access charges in light of ruling last week by Colo. Dist. Court Judge Michael Mullins in Denver. State court judge held that IPS was liable for intrastate access charges whenever it used public switched telephone network of Qwest or other telephone carriers for call completion. IPS Pres. Martin McDermott said Colo. PUC specifically exempted Internet telephony companies from paying intrastate access charges. He said ruling could force his company to pay at least $1 million in damages to Qwest, which brought lawsuit in state court seeking access charges. McDermott said state court’s ruling was so broad as to make any alternative carrier, regardless of technology used, liable for payment of access charges. Judicial ruling (CD Jan 17 p9) was state action, not federal.

Word is that Fox TV Network will tell its affiliates at meeting this weekend in Las Vegas that it’s dropping annual spring convention that has been held since network began in 1981. Session will be held just before start of ALTV-NATPE convention and fewer than half of affiliates are expected to attend. Many of what are now Fox affiliates were prominent in forming association for independent stations before Fox network started and have remained members. Financial factors reportedly are reason for dropping spring meeting, which in 2000 was held in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Hearst-Argyle TV will use Harris Corp. DTV transmitters under new agreement. Deal at start covers 17 stations, allowing them to begin DTV broadcasting this year, companies said. Hearst-Argyle owns or manages 26 stations.

AT&T passed on chance to petition FCC for permission to use company’s planned spinoff of Liberty Media Group to satisfy Commission’s MediaOne divestiture requirements. FCC’s Jan. 16 deadline for written petition came and went without word from AT&T, which wrestled with agency last month over how to meet merger divestiture conditions. AT&T spokesman said MSO hadn’t planned to file petition and preferred to “not elaborate” on its previous statements. FCC Cable Bureau spokeswoman also declined comment. In unexpectedly tough order Dec. 21, Commission told AT&T to carry out its stated commitment to shed its 25.5% stake in Time Warner Entertainment (TWE) or place it in irrevocable trust for sale by May 19 even though company said it preferred to meet merger conditions by spinning off its Liberty Media programming unit (CD Dec 26 p1). But FCC said AT&T still could petition agency to modify order by Jan. 16 by submitting written request “with an appropriate showing as to why such a modification would serve the public interest.” AT&T spokesman said company stood by its earlier statements in which it agreed that it had elected to divest TWE to meet Commission’s Dec. 15 election requirement but insisted that it also was proceeding with plans to spin off Liberty. Issue also is key to FCC’s recent approval of AOL’s takeover of Time Warner (TW). In accepting AOL-TW deal last week, both outgoing FCC Chmn. Kennard and Republican Comr. Powell, widely expected to succeed him, stressed importance of severing ownership links between AT&T and TW.

Hot topics at N. American Numbering Council (NANC) meetings Wed. were elimination of certain numbering/dialing options and expansion of N. American Numbering Plan (NANP)capacity. Industry Numbering Committee (INC) proposed elimination of proposals to: (1) Use 4-digit area code. (2) Use 1-digit national destination code that would be dialed as “1” is now for long distance calls. (3) Dial NANC steering committee’s proposed 2-digit geographical code before area code. Also discussed were: (1) How to transition changes once decision is made on dialing methods and whether transition should be gradual or “flash cut.” (2) Whether 10-digit dialing question has been decided. (3) Whether need to move to new dialing regimes is pressing, since it appears significant amount may be accessible soon. NARUC representative said real resolution of numbering issues wouldn’t occur soon.

VoiceStream and Deutsche Telekom (DT), in brief filing Wed. with SEC, disclosed they had entered into agreement with U.S. Dept. of Justice and FBI on issues related to proposed mergers of VoiceStream, DT, Powertel. Pact addresses national security and law enforcement matters in proposed deal, companies said, but didn’t outline details. They said they and federal law enforcers jointly had petitioned FCC to defer granting applications for merger approval until after agreement was reached with DoJ and FBI. Merger still must be approved by Commission, Committee on Foreign Investment in U.S., VoiceStream and Powertel shareholders.

CARLSBAD, Cal. -- Following end of potentially contentious fight over DTV standards (CD Jan 17 p3), NAB TV board approved financing to start public campaign to “educate consumers on the benefits of digital TV.” To get under way in spring, planning will begin Feb. 6 at joint meeting with co-sponsor MSTV, NAB announced at close of 4 days of board meetings here Wed. Cost of effort wasn’t disclosed, but broadcaster said “we've already spent hundreds of thousands” on engineering studies to determine that 8- VSB standard should be favored over COFDM.

Paxson closed on purchase of 51% of KPPX (Ch. 51, Pax) Tolleson, Ariz. (Phoenix market) from Hector Salvatierra, broker Kalil reported. Paxson, which earlier had acquired 49% of station, paid $6.6 million for rest.