# Attachment E {#attachment-e .unnumbered}

HOW TO MONITOR THE FCC AUCTIONS ON-LINE

This document describes the following ways to monitor the auction:

-   View announcements and round results on your Web browser during the
    course of Auction 51

-   Download round results data files

-   View or download files containing the text of auction announcements

-   Track the auction using dial-up networking, which can be used in the
    event your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has malfunctioned.

**[Conventions]{.underline}**

The instructions in this section use the following typographical
conventions:

**bold** Represents objects on the screen that you click with the mouse
pointer, including buttons, Internet links, icons, tabs, menu items
(e.g., **Cancel** button, **Auctions** link, **Save** option in the File
menu).

*italic* Represents field names or areas of a screen (e.g., *Location*
field, *Selected* *Licenses* area of a screen).

***bold italic*** Represents characters that you must type exactly as
they appear in the instructions. For example, if you are instructed to
type ***http://auctions.fcc.gov***, you should type all of the
characters exactly as they are printed.

## Viewing Announcements

1.  To access the FCC Automated Auction System, point your Web browser
    at ***http://auctions.fcc.gov*** and click **Bidding & Results
    Systems**, then **Auction 51**.

> Alternatively, you can point your Web browser at
> ***http://auctions2.fcc.gov.***

2.  To view auction-related announcements, click the **Announcements**
    link on the Home tab.

## Downloading Round Results Files

You may use your Web browser to download round results files, as
described in the following sections.

### Download Procedure

1.  Point your Web browser at ***http://auctions.fcc.gov***.

> Alternatively, you can point your Web browser at
> ***http://auctions2.fcc.gov.***

2.  On the Auctions Systems page, click the **Auctions Archives** link

3.  On the Auction Data Archives page, click the link for Auction 51.

> The Index page that appears shows a parent directory that has three
> subdirectories, or folders. Clicking one of the folder names expands
> the associated subdirectory to show its contents.

4.  For auction round results, click **Results** and then click the
    subdirectory for the type of files you want to use. Note the
    following:

-   Round results files in text (*txt)* format are provided in
    subdirectories **ab** (All Bids), **cb** (Current Round Bids),
    **mb** (Minimum Acceptable Bids), **as** (Auction Summary), **ap**
    (Auction Parameters), **bs** (Bidder Summary), **pw** (Provisionally
    Winning Bids), and **pr** (Current Price Estimate).

-   Subdirectory **zip** has a *zipped* file containing all of the
    preceding round results files.

-   Subdirectory **mdb** (Reproducibility Database) has Microsoft®
    Access database files containing the data needed to verify the
    provisional winners for the round.

-   Subdirectories **mxref**, and **bxref** provide text (*txt)* files
    containing the Market Cross Reference and Bidder Cross Reference
    tables, respectively.

> For more details about the round results process, refer to *Auction of
> Regional Narrowband PCS Licenses Scheduled for September 24, 2003;
> Round Results Process and Results Replication*; FCC Public Notice DA
> 03-2522.

5.  To open a text (*txt)* file, click its link. To download the opened
    report, use the **Save As** option on your browser's File menu.

> To open or download a database file or zipped file, click its link.
> The system will ask whether you want to open the file or download it.

### Naming Conventions For Round Results Files

> **Note:** The naming conventions described in this section also apply
> to the Mock Auction. The only difference is, the Mock Auction is
> numbered 75 whereas the real auction is numbered 51.

For each round, ASCII text (.txt) files will be uploaded with the
following naming conventions, where *xxx* represents the round number:

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Filename**      **Description**      **This file contains:**
  ----------------- -------------------- --------------------------------------
  51\_*xxx*ab.txt   All Bids             All bids that are considered in
                                         determining the round's provisionally
                                         winning bids

  51\_*xxx*cb.txt   Current Round Bids   All bids placed in the current round

  51\_*xxx*mb.txt   Minimum Acceptable   All licenses applied for and every
                    Bids                 package that was bid on by each
                                         respective bidder

  51\_*xxx*as.txt   Auction Summary      Round summary statistics

  51\_*xxx*pw.txt   Provisionally        Information about the provisionally
                    Willing Bids         winning bid for each license and
                                         package, as of that round

  51\_*xxx*pr.txt   Current Price        The current price estimate for each
                    Estimate             license

  51\_*xxx*ap.txt   Auction Parameters   Factors the FCC used to calculate
                                         required bidder activity and minimum
                                         bid amounts in that round and
                                         preceding rounds

  51\_*xxx*bs.txt   Bidder Summary       Summary information for bidders and
                                         contains one row per authorized bidder
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We will also upload the following files, which are created only once,
prior to the start of the auction:

-   51_xref.txt contains bidder cross reference data

-   51_mref.txt contains market cross reference data

> ***File Formats:*** For a description of the internal formats of the
> round results files, refer to *Round Results File Formats* at the end
> of this document.

## Accessing Auction Announcements

You may use your Web browser to view or download announcements, as
described in the following sections.

### Access Procedure

1.  Point your Web browser at ***http://auctions.fcc.gov***.

> Alternatively, you can point your Web browser at
> ***http://auctions2.fcc.gov.***

2.  On the Auctions Systems page, click the **Auctions Archives** link.

3.  On the Auction Data Archives page, click the link for Auction 51.

> The Index page that appears shows a parent directory that has three
> subdirectories, or folders. Clicking one of the folder names expands
> the associated subdirectory to show its contents.

4.  Click **Announcements**.

5.  Click the file you want to download.

6.  The file will open in your browser and you can save it to a local
    disk drive, if desired.

### Naming Conventions For Announcement Files

The announcement files will use the naming convention *aa_xxx.nnn,*
where *aa* is the auction number, *xxx* is the round number and *nnn* is
the announcement number. For example, 51_002.007 would represent an
announcement for Auction 51 that was posted during round two and was the
seventh announcement for the auction.

## Tracking the Auction via the FCC Wide Area Network

To participate as a bidder in an FCC auction or view the auction's
announcements and round results, the FCC recommends accessing the FCC
Automated Auction System via the Internet. As a contingency, you may
access the FCC Automated Auction System via the FCC Wide Area Network.

### Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements

The following hardware and software, at a minimum, are required to use
the FCC Bidding System:

-   CPU: Pentium 133 or above

-   RAM: 32 MB (64 MB recommended)

-   Monitor: VGA or above

-   Mouse or other pointing device

-   Operating System: Microsoft® Windows™ 95™, 98™, 2000™, ME™, NT™, XP™

-   Web Browser, either of the following:

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher (recommended). Your
    browser must have either Microsoft VM or Java Plug-In Version
    1.3.1_08 installed.

-   Netscape® Communicator™ 4.0 or higher, with Java Plug-In Version
    1.3.1_08.

> Java Plug-In Version 1.3.1_08 is available for downloading at
> ***http://java.sun.com/products/archive/index.html***

In addition, users accessing the FCC Auctions Bidding System via the
FCC's Wide Area Network will need:

-   Modem: 28.8 Kbps Hayes© compatible modem or faster (56 Kbps
    recommended)

-   Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Dialer: Use the Dial-Up Networking
    feature included with the operating system

### Connecting to the FCC Wide Area Network

To connect to the FCC Wide Area Network, you must use Dial-Up
Networking. Dial-Up Networking establishes a point‑to‑point connection
from your PC to the FCC Network. *This point‑to‑point connection is not
routed through the Internet*.

To access the FCC Automated Auction System, configure your dial-up
network to dial either ***202-408-7835*** or ***717-338-0735***. These
phone numbers are located in Washington, DC, and Gettysburg, PA,
respectively. Thus, calls to these numbers may be long-distance calls,
depending on where the calls originate. When you have finished, exit
your Web browser, then disconnect from the FCC Network.

## Round Results File Formats

This section describes the formats for the round results files that will
be uploaded to the FCC Internet site after each round of the auction.
The results files contain the raw output of the auction data. These
files are in *txt* format.

### All Bids

This file includes all bids that are considered in determining the
round's provisionally winning bids. These include every bid by every
bidder throughout the auction and a set of FCC bids on each license for
\$1,000 less than the applicable minimum opening bid. Bids placed but
removed within a round are not included.

This file contains one row for each license in a package. Therefore, a
file contains multiple rows and some duplicated data for packages with
multiple licenses.

  -------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
  **File Name:                       
  51\_*rnd#*ab.txt**                 

  **Column Header**    **Data Type** **Data Description**

  round                int           Round in which this bid was placed

  fcc_account_num      char(10)      Bidder-held FCC account number

  company              char(50)      Company name of the bidder

  package_id           numeric(10)   Unique package identifier

  license_desc         char(30)      Description of the license

  service_code         char(2)       Type of service (spectrum) offered

  market               char(6)       Geographic region of the license

  channel              char(2)       License channel

  sub_market           int           Identifies a portion of a market
                                     being offered

  bid_amt              money         Amount of bid

  bid_type             char(1)       Type of bid: B (new bid), L (renewed
                                     non-winning bid), W (renewed winning
                                     bid), or A (last and best bid)
  -------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------

### Current Round Bids

This file includes only those bids placed in the current round. The
Current Round Bids file contains one row for each license of each
package.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                       
  51\_*rnd#*cb.txt**                 
  -------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
  **Column Header**    **Data Type** **Data Description**

  round                int           Round in which this bid was placed

  fcc_account          char(10)      Bidder-held FCC account number

  company              char(50)      Company name of the bidder

  package_id           numeric(10)   Unique package identifier

  license_desc         char(30)      Description of the license

  service_code         char(2)       Type of service (spectrum) offered

  market               char(6)       Geographic region of the license

  channel              char(2)       License channel

  sub_market           int           Identifies a portion of a market
                                     being offered

  gross_bid_amt        money         Gross amount of the bid placed

  net_bid_amount       money         Net amount of the bid placed

  last_best            char(1)       Identifies a last and best bid

  prov_winner          char(1)       Identifies a provisional winner

  renewed_bid          char(1)       Identifies a renewed bid

  selection_num        float         Selection Number
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

### Minimum Acceptable Bids

This file includes a row for all licenses applied for and every package
that was bid on by each respective bidder. Packages that have been
constructed but not bid on in any round are not included in this report.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                           
  51\_*rnd#*mb.txt**                     
  ------------------------ ------------- ------------------------------------
  **Column Header**        **Data Type** **Data Description**

  round_num                int           The round for which the minimum
                                         acceptable bid value applies

  fcc_account_num          char(10)      Bidder-held FCC account number

  company                  char(50)      Company name of the bidder

  package_id               numeric(10)   Unique package identifier

  min_acceptable_bid_amt   money         Minimum acceptable bid amount

  gap_method               int           Rule method used to determine
                                         minimum acceptable bid
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

### Provisionally Winning Bids

This file contains information about the provisionally winning bid for
each license and package, as of that round. There is one row for each
license in a package. The file has the same format as an All Bids file.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                       
  51\_*rnd#*pw.txt**                 
  -------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
  **Column Header**    **Data Type** **Data Description**

  round_num            int           Round in which this bid was placed

  fcc_account_num      char(10)      Bidder-held FCC account number

  company              char(50)      Company name of the bidder

  package_id           numeric(10)   Unique package identifier

  license_desc         char(30)      Description of the license

  service_code         char(2)       Type of service (spectrum) offered

  market               char(6)       Geographic region of the license

  channel              char(2)       License channel

  sub_market           int           Identifies a portion of a market
                                     being offered

  bid_amt              money         Amount of bid

  bid_type             char(1)       Type of bid: B (new bid), L (renewed
                                     non-winning bid), W (renewed winning
                                     bid), or A (last and best bid)
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

### Current Price Estimate

This file contains one row for each license in the auction and displays
the current price estimate for each license. Bidders can use this file
to determine minimum acceptable bid amounts for packages they create
between rounds.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                      
  51\_*rnd#*pr.txt**                
  ---------------------- ---------- -------------------------------------
  **Column Header**      **Data     **Data Description**
                         Type**     

  current_round          int        Current round number of the auction

  lic_id                 int        Unique license identifier

  license_desc           char(30)   Description of the license

  service_code           char(2)    The service (spectrum) being offered

  market                 char(6)    Geographic region of the license

  channel                char(2)    License channel

  sub_market             int        Identifies the portion of the market
                                    offered

  estimated_price        money      Estimate of the license price
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

### Auction Summary

This file includes round summery statistics. Each row of the file
contains the statistics for a round of the auction.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                       
  51\_*rnd#*as.txt**                 
  --------------------- ------------ ------------------------------------
  **Column Header**     **Data       **Data Description**
                        Type**       

  round                 int          Round number of auction summary

  num_elig_bidders      int          Number of bidders still eligible in
                                     auction

  fcc_owned_licenses    int          Number of FCC owned licenses

  new_bids              int          Number of new bids in the round

  gross_rev             money        Gross Revenue for the round

  net_rev               money        Net Revenue for the round

  net_rev_pct           float(8)     Percentage of Net Revenue increase
                                     in the round
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

### Auction Parameters

This file summarizes factors the FCC used to calculate required bidder
activity and minimum bid amounts in that round and preceding rounds.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **File Name:                       
  51\_*rnd#*ap.txt**                 
  --------------------- ------------ ------------------------------------
  **Column Header**     **Data       **Data Description**
                        Type**       

  round_num             int          Round number of auction summary

  required_activity     float(8)     Fraction of current eligibility a
                                     bidder must be active on without
                                     risk of eligibility reduction or
                                     eligibility activity waiver usage.

  min_bid\_ pctg_x      float(8)     Fraction of previous high bid to be
                                     applied in rule (ii) of minimum
                                     acceptable bid calculations

  min_bid\_ pctg_w      float(8)     Fraction of Gross Revenue to be
                                     applied in rule (iii) of minimum
                                     acceptable bid calculations for
                                     global bids

  min_bid\_ pctg_z      float(8)     Fraction of current price estimate
                                     to be applied in rule (iii) of
                                     minimum acceptable bid calculations

  min_bid_incr_pctg_v   float(8)     Fraction of minimum acceptable bid
                                     to be used as bid increment

  weight_factor         float(8)     Exponential smoothing weight factor
                                     used when determining current price
                                     estimates
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

### Bidder Summary

This file includes summary information for bidders and contains one row
per authorized bidder.

+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| **File Name:        |          |                                    |
| 51_rnd#bs.txt**     |          |                                    |
+=====================+==========+====================================+
| **Column Header**   | **Data   | **Data Description**               |
|                     | Type**   |                                    |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| current_round       | int      | Current round number of the        |
|                     |          | auction                            |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| fcc_account_number  | char(10) | Bidder-held FCC account number     |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| company             | char(50) | Company name of the bidder         |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| curr                | money    | Dollar exposure of bids placed in  |
| ent_dollar_exposure |          | the round                          |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| over                | money    | Dollar exposure considering all    |
| all_dollar_exposure |          | bids placed                        |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| initial_max_elig    | money    | Bidder's initial eligibility       |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| current_max_elig    | money    | Bidder's current eligibility       |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| e                   | int      | Bidder's eligibility activity for  |
| ligibility_activity |          | the round                          |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| required_activity   | int      | Bidder's required activity level   |
|                     |          | for the round                      |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| pr                  | int      | Bidder's activity from             |
| ov_winning_activity |          | provisionally winning bids in the  |
|                     |          | prior round                        |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| remaining_waivers   | int      | Current number of waivers that the |
|                     |          | bidder has available               |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| waiver_ind          | char(1)  | Indicator of waiver being used in  |
|                     |          | the round, if any.                 |
|                     |          |                                    |
|                     |          | Values are: P (proactive), A       |
|                     |          | (automatic), R (Reduced), or B     |
|                     |          | (reduced eligibility and used a    |
|                     |          | waiver within a round).            |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| last_best           | char(1)  | Indicator of last and best bids in |
|                     |          | the round                          |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+
| bidding_credit_pctg | float    | Bidding credit percentage that the |
|                     |          | bidder may apply to their gross    |
|                     |          | bid amount                         |
+---------------------+----------+------------------------------------+

## Help

For technical assistance with using FCC software, contact the FCC
Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414‑1250 (V) or (202) 414-1255 (TTY).
The FCC Technical Support Hotline is generally available Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. *All calls to the FCC Technical Support
Hotline are recorded.*