MAXCELL TELECOM PLUS, INC. v. F.C.C.

Nos. 85-1322, 85-1331, 85-1332, 85-1335 and 85-1346.

815 F.2d 1551 (1987)

MAXCELL TELECOM PLUS, INC., Petitioner, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION and the United States of America, Respondents, Yankee Celltell Co., Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc., BellSouth Mobility Inc., Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, NYNEX Mobile Communications Co., Radiofone, Inc., Centel Corporation, MCI Cellular Telephone Company, et al., New Vector Communications, Inc., Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., Baldwin Telecom, Inc., Contel Cellular Inc., Intervenors. NORTHWESTERN INDIANA TELEPHONE COMPANY, INC., Petitioner, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION and the United States of America, Respondents, Yankee Celltell Co., BellSouth Mobility Inc., Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc., Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, NYNEX Mobile Communications Co., Radiofone, Inc., Centel Corporation, MCI Cellular Telephone Company, et al., Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., Continental Telecom, Inc., Baldwin Telecom, Inc., Intervenors. MAXCELL TELECOM PLUS, INC., et al., Appellants, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Appellee, St. Louis Cellular System, Inc., New Orleans CGSA, Inc., Centel Corporation, Yankee Celltell, Co., NewVector Communications, Inc., Continental Telecom, Inc., Intervenors. LA STAR CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY, Appellant, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Appellee, New Orleans CGSA, Inc., Contel Cellular, Inc., Intervenors. NORTHWESTERN INDIANA TELEPHONE COMPANY, INC., Appellant, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Appellee, New Orleans CGSA, Inc., Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., Contel Cellular Inc., Intervenors. Harry J. PAPPAS d/b/a California Portaphone, Petitioner, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION and the United States of America, Respondents, NYNEX Mobile Communications Co., BellSouth Mobility Inc., MCI Cellular Telephone Company, et al., Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., Continental Telecom, Inc., Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc., Intervenors.

United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit.

Decided April 7, 1987.

As Amended April 7, 1987.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

George Petrutsas, with whom Richard Hildreth and Frank R. Jazzo, Washington, D.C., were on brief, for petitioner, Harry J. Pappas d/b/a California Portaphone, in No. 85-1346.

Arthur V. Belendiuk, Washington, D.C., for petitioner/appellant, La Star Cellular Telephone, et al., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1331 and 85-1332.

David L. Nace, with whom Russell D. Lukas and Pamela L. Gist, Washington, D.C., was on brief, for petitioner/appellant, Northwestern Indiana Telephone Company, Inc., in Nos. 85-1324 and 85-1335.

Roberta L. Cook, Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, with whom Jack D. Smith, General Counsel, Daniel M. Armstrong, Associate General Counsel and John E. Ingle, Deputy Associate General Counsel, Federal Communications Comm., Washington, D.C., were on brief, for respondents/appellees. Robert B. Nicholson and Margaret G. Halpern, Attys., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D.C., also entered appearances for respondents/appellees in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324, 85-1331, 85-1332, 85-1335 and 85-1346.

Alan B. Sternstein, with whom Raymond F. Scully, Katherine I. Hall, Washington, D.C., and Martin C. Ruegsegger were on joint brief, for intervenors, Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Inc., et al., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324, 85-1331, 85-1332, 85-1335 and 85-1346.

John W. Berresford, Philadelphia, Pa., entered an appearance for Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Inc.

Edward R. Wholl, Washington, D.C., entered an appearance for NYNEX Mobile Communications Co.

Richard B. Severy, Washington, D.C., was on brief, for intervenor, MCI Cellular Telephone Company, et al., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324 and 85-1346.

Charles A. Zielinski and A. Richard Metzger, Jr., Washington, D.C., were on brief, for intervenor, Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324, 85-1335, 85-1346. Joseph J. Simons also entered an appearance for Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc.

Arthur Blooston, Harold Mordkofsky, Robert M. Jackson and Edward P. Taptich, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for intervenors, Yankee Celltell Co., et al., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324 and 85-1331.

Theodore D. Frank and Marilyn D. Sonn, Washington, D.C., entered an appearance for intervenor, Centel Corp., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324 and 85-1331.

Leon T. Knauer and L. Andrew Tollin, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for intervenor, NewVector Communications, Inc., in Nos. 85-1322 and 85-1331.

Alan Y. Naftalin and Peter Connolly, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for intervenor, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324 and 85-1346.

Dean George Hill, Washington, D.C., entered an appearance for intervenor, Baldwin Telecom, Inc., in Nos. 85-1322 and 85-1324.

John A. Borsari, Washington, D.C., and Joseph P. Benkert, entered appearances for intervenor, Centel Cellular Inc., in Nos. 85-1322, 85-1324, 85-1331, 85-1332, 85-1335 and 85-1346.

Before BORK and BUCKLEY, Circuit Judges, and HAROLD H. GREENE, District Judge.


Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge BORK.

BORK, Circuit Judge:

These consolidated cases present challenges to two features of the procedures established by the Federal Communications Commission to award cellular radiotelephone licenses. Petitioner California Portaphone ("Portaphone") claims that the use of a lottery procedure to select licensees for the Fresno, California market was an invalid retroactive application of the procedure, since comparative...

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