The five bidders winning the largest number of licenses were as follows:
BidderNumber of Licenses Won
T-Mobile License  7,156
North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation  107
Evergy Kansas Central  54
LICT Wireless Broadband Company  46
Broadband One of the Midwest  42Most of the available spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band is located in rural areas.

Read the full story at telecomlead.com. 

"-The top five licenses winners based on total gross bids were T-Mobile US at $304.3 million; PTI Pacifica at $17.7 million; TeleGuam Holdings at $16.6 million; Evergy Kansas Central at $12.7 million; and Cellular South at $11.9 million. In terms of which companies won the most individual licenses, the top five were T-Mo with 7,156 licenses; the North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation with 107; Evergy Kansas Central with 54 licenses; LICT Wireless Broadband Company with 46; and Broadband One of the Midwest with 42 licenses."

Read the full story at rcrwireless.com

"The auction provided up to three blocks of spectrum, totaling 117.5MHz in each county. In terms of the number of licenses won, the second-place finisher was the North American Catholic Educational Programming Fund. Its winning bids totaled $7.8 million and cover 107 licenses in 84 counties.
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There were 63 winning bidders overall, and the auction raised $427.8 million. Small entities and rural service providers were given discounts on the license costs. The 2.5 GHz spectrum was originally set aside for educational institutions but has been repurposed for commercial service."

Read the full story at arstechnica.com

"T-Mobile was expected to be the primary major player in the auction since the spectrum fits with holes it has in its coverage areas. One veteran spectrum watcher said likely the only reason most other carriers would be bidding was to bid up how much their competitor, T-Mobile, would have to pay to fill those holes.

There were no other big-name winners, with the second-most licenses won (107) by the North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation and the second gross bid total recorded by PTI Pacifica Inc."

Read the full article at nexttv.com.

North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation Inc. (NACEPF) is sad to announce the passing of our former Vice President, Barbara Primeau. Barbara served as the Vice President and Director of NACEPF for 32 years. 

Her intelligence, selflessness, faith, and passion were instrumental in building NACEPF. Her numerous responsibilities included helping to produce NACEPF's educational newsletter, selecting qualified teachers for NACEPF's distance learning courses, and sharing the impact of NACEPF's mission. She was deeply involved in the organization's ministry efforts, and she championed many of NACEPF's philanthropic programs including building schools, providing healthcare, and feeding children in some of the poorest areas of the world. She often said, “children cannot learn on an empty stomach.” As a former social worker, her dedication to helping people realize their full potential guided her as she led with both practicality and compassion. 

Barbara was beloved in our community and we are all mourning the immense loss. We invite you to read what some of our partners shared about Barbara.

Full details about her life and services can be found here. 

​The North American Catholic Programming Education Foundation (NACEPF) and Mobile Beacon submitted comments on May 4, 2021, in response to the Federal Communications Commission in the Matter of  Auction of Flexible-Use Service Licenses in the 2.5 GHz Band for  Next-Generation Wireless Services.
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Read the full comments here.

Johnston, RI – The educational nonprofit, North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation, Inc. (NACEPF), and its subsidiary Mobile Beacon are proud to announce the donation of over $400,000 to support the educational programs of buildOn. buildOn empowers U.S. youth to transform their neighborhoods and the world through intensive community service. Globally, they’re constructing a new school every two days in some of the economically poorest countries around the world.

This year, NACEPF committed to building 10 additional primary schools and financially supporting the establishment of 14 adult literacy programs in Mali, Malawi, Senegal, Nepal, and Haiti. Mobile Beacon is funding the service-learning series that occurs in 28 high schools in six under-served urban regions across the country. buildOn’s Service Learning Programs empower students to become leaders in their communities by exploring the challenges they face and developing solutions through volunteer service.

Read the full press release. ​

“The North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation, Inc. (NACEPF) and Mobile Beacon are gravely concerned about the long-term consequences of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s decision today to dismantle the last 50+ years of public policy that designated a modest portion of licensed spectrum to educational entities to serve their communities. This Order not only abandons that policy but also ignores the record. 95% of all individuals and organizations that submitted comments in this proceeding supported keeping EBS educational and provided abundant examples of ways existing EBS programs are closing the digital divide throughout the U.S. today.
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The consequences of this vote are too serious to get lost in the 5G hype. In the last decade, every time the FCC has granted an EBS waiver to an educational institution or tribal entity, those entities built networks that provide more affordable internet access to more rural Americans than anything available directly from the commercial sector. This is a stunning success record. Educational institutions and tribes have produced better results in less time, with less spectrum, and with less financial resources than the very providers that already hold 625 MHz of spectrum below 3 GHz, which is not being deployed in these same rural areas. While we’re pleased the FCC moved forward with a priority window for tribes, this Order unreasonably ‘declined’ to give new, rural educational institutions the opportunity to replicate these successes in the future.
Read the full statement here. ​

“We are currently reviewing Commissioner Carr’s letter and we will respond appropriately. In the meantime, I note that NACEPF and Mobile Beacon have already provided the Commission with extensive information about the scope and depth of our existing programs, which specifically and successfully provide broadband for educational purposes, not only in our licensed market areas but throughout all 50 states. Moreover, over 95% of all organizations and individuals that filed comments in this proceeding have told the Commission to preserve EBS for education, many detailing various ways they are using Mobile Beacon’s service to support education throughout the U.S.
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Today, our broadband service is used by 830 schools, 1019 public libraries, and 4880 nonprofits to benefit students of all ages and abilities. We’ve been innovators and leaders in developing programs that specifically address the homework gap and digital divide. We pioneered the library hotspot lending model which enables patrons without home internet access to “check-out” the internet so they are not limited to library hours for access to technology. Schools are using our EBS service to provide WiFi on school buses, off-campus connectivity for student-athletes as well as hospitalized children, to keep classrooms running in the wake of natural disasters, and to provide home connectivity for low-income families that cannot afford commercial rates.
Read the full statement here. ​