§24.839. Transfer of control or assignment of license. — Inbound Citations

(4) A licensee that holds a license pursuant to small business, rural service provider, and/or entrepreneur provisions (see § 1.2110 and § 24.709 of this chapter) and continues to be subject to unjust enrichment requirements (see § 1.2111 and § 24.714 of this chapter) and/or transfer restrictions (see § 24.839 of this chapter) may enter into a spectrum manager leasing arrangement with a spectrum lessee, regardless of whether the spectrum lessee meets the Commission's designated entity eligibility requirements (see § 1.2110 of this chapter) or its entrepreneur eligibility requirements to hold certain C and F block licenses in the broadband personal communications services (see § 1.2110 and § 24.709 of this chapter), so long as the spectrum manager leasing arrangement does not result in the spectrum lessee's becoming a “controlling interest” or “affiliate” (see § 1.2110 of this chapter) of the licensee such that the licensee would lose its eligibility as a designated entity or entrepreneur.

(i) A licensee that holds a license pursuant to small business and/or entrepreneur provisions (see § 1.2110 and § 24.709 of this chapter) and continues to be subject to unjust enrichment requirements (see § 1.2111 and § 24.714 of this chapter) and/or transfer restrictions (see § 24.839 of this chapter) may enter into a long-term de facto transfer leasing arrangement with any entity under the streamlined processing procedures described in this section, subject to any applicable unjust enrichment payment obligations and/or transfer restrictions (see § 1.2111 and § 24.839 of this chapter).

(2) Unjust enrichment provisions (see § 1.2111) and transfer restrictions (see § 24.839 of this chapter) do not apply with regard to a short-term de facto transfer leasing arrangement.

(B) The licensee is not a designated entity or entrepreneur subject to unjust enrichment requirements and/or transfer restrictions under applicable Commission rules (see §§ 1.2110, and 1.2111 and §§ 24.709, 24.714, and 24.839 of this chapter);

(1) Parties seeking approval for partitioning and disaggregation shall request an authorization for partial assignment of a license pursuant to § 24.839.

(2) Any licensee awarded a license won in closed bidding pursuant to the eligibility requirements of this section (or pursuant to § 24.839(a)(2)) shall maintain its eligibility until at least five years from the date of initial license grant, except that a licensee's (or other attributable entity's) increased gross revenues or increased total assets due to nonattributable equity investments (i.e., from sources whose gross revenues and total assets are not considered under paragraph (b) of this section), debt financing, revenue from operations or other investments, business development, or expanded service shall not be considered.

(1) The following provisions apply to licenses acquired in Auctions No. 5, 10, 11 or 22, or pursuant to § 24.839(a)(2) or (a)(3) prior to October 30, 2000.

(i) Where an applicant (or licensee) is a consortium of small businesses, the gross revenues and total assets of each small business shall not be aggregated.

(ii) Where an applicant (or licensee) is a publicly traded corporation with widely dispersed voting power, the gross revenues and total assets of a person or entity that holds an interest in the applicant (or licensee), and its affiliates, shall not be considered.

(iii) The gross revenues and total assets of a person or entity that holds an interest in the applicant (or licensee), and its affiliates, shall not be considered so long as:

(A) Such person or entity, together with its affiliates, holds only nonattributable equity equaling no more than 25 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity;

(B) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(v) of this section, such person or entity is not a member of the applicant's (or licensee's) control group; and

(C) The applicant (or licensee) has a control group that complies with the minimum equity requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(v) of this section, and, if the applicant (or licensee) is a corporation, owns at least 50.1 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) voting interests, and, if the applicant (or licensee) is a partnership, holds all of its general partnership interests.

(iv) The gross revenues and total assets of a person or entity that holds an interest in the applicant (or licensee), and its affiliates, shall not be considered so long as:

(A) Such person or entity, together with its affiliates, holds only nonattributable equity equaling no more than 49.9 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity;

(B) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(vi) of this section, such person or entity is not a member of the applicant's (or licensee's) control group; and

(C) The applicant (or licensee) has a control group that complies with the minimum equity requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(vi) of this section and, if the applicant (or licensee) is a corporation, owns at least 50.1 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) voting interests, and, if the applicant (or licensee) is a partnership, holds all of its general partnership interests.

(v) In order to be eligible to exclude gross revenues and total assets of persons or entities identified in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, and applicant (or licensee) must comply with the following requirements:

(A) Except for an applicant (or licensee) whose sole control group member is a preexisting entity, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(B) of this section, at the time the applicant's short-form application (Form 175) is filed and until at least three years following the date of initial license grant, the applicant's (or licensee's) control group must own at least 25 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity as follows:

(1) At least 15 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity must be held by qualifying investors, either unconditionally or in the form of options exercisable, at the option of the holder, at any time and at any exercise price equal to or less than the market value at the time the applicant files its short-form application (Form 175);

(2) Such qualifying investors must hold 50.1 percent of the voting stock and all general partnership interests within the control group, and must have de facto control of the control group and of the applicant;

(3) The remaining 10 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity may be owned, either unconditionally or in the form of stock options, by any of the following entities, which may not comply with § 24.720(g)(1):

(i) Institutional Investors;

(ii) Noncontrolling existing investors in any preexisting entity that is a member of the control group;

(iii) Individuals that are members of the applicant's (or licensee's) management; or

(iv) Qualifying investors, as specified in § 24.720(g)(3).

(4) Following termination of the three-year period specified in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(A) of this section, qualifying investors must continue to own at least 10 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity unconditionally or in the form of stock options subject to the restrictions in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(A)(1) of this section. The restrictions specified in paragraphs (b)(1)(v)(A)(3)(i) through (b)(1)(v)(A)(3)(iv) of this section no longer apply to the remaining equity after termination of such three-year period.

(B) At the election of an applicant (or licensee) whose control group's sole member is a preexisting entity, the 25 percent minimum equity requirements set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(A) of this section shall apply, except that only 10 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity must be held in qualifying investors, and that the remaining 15 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity may be held by qualifying investors, or noncontrolling existing investors in such control group member or individuals that are members of the applicant's (or licensee's) management. These restrictions on the identity of the holder(s) of the remaining 15 percent of the licensee's total equity no longer apply after termination of the three-year period specified in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(A) of this section.

(vi) In order to be eligible to exclude gross revenues and total assets of persons or entities identified in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section, an applicant (or licensee) must comply with the following requirements:

(A) Except for an applicant (or licenses) whose sole control group member is a preexisting entity, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(B) of this section, at the time the applicant's short-form application (Form 175) is filed and until at least three years following the date of initial license grant, the applicant's (or licensee's) control group must own at least 50.1 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity as follows:

(1) At least 30 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity must be held by qualifying investors, either unconditionally or in the form of options, exercisable at the option of the holder, at any time and at any exercise price equal to or less than the market value at the time the applicant files its short-form application (Form 175);

(2) Such qualifying investors must hold 50.1 percent of the voting stock and all general partnership interests within the control group and must have de facto control of the control group and of the applicant;

(3) The remaining 20.1 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity may be owned by qualifying investors, either unconditionally or in the form of stock options not subject to the restrictions of paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A)(1) of this section, or by any of the following entities which may not comply with § 24.720(g)(1):

(i) Institutional investors, either unconditionally or in the form of stock options;

(ii) Noncontrolling existing investors in any preexisting entity that is a member of the control group, either unconditionally or in the form of stock options;

(iii) Individuals that are members of the applicant's (or licensee's) management, either unconditionally or in the form of stock options; or

(iv) Qualifying investors, as specified in § 24.720(g)(3).

(4) Following termination of the three-year period specified in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A) of this section, qualifying investors must continue to own at least 20 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity unconditionally or in the form of stock options subject to the restrictions in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A)(1) of this section. The restrictions specified in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A)(3)(i) through (b)(1)(vi)(A)(3)(iv) of this section no longer apply to the remaining equity after termination of such three-year period.

(B) At the election of an applicant (or licensee) whose control group's sole member is a preexisting entity, the 50.1 percent minimum equity requirements set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A) of this section shall apply, except that only 20 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity must be held by qualifying investors, and that the remaining 30.1 percent of the applicant's (or licensee's) total equity may be held by qualifying investors, or noncontrolling existing investors in such control group member or individuals that are members of the applicant's (or licensee's) management. These restrictions on the identity of the holder(s) of the remaining 30.1 percent of the licensee's total equity no longer apply after termination of the three-year period specified in paragraph (b)(1)(vi)(A) of this section.

(vii) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(1)(v) and (b)(1)(vi) of this section, ownership interests shall be calculated on a fully diluted basis; all agreements such as warrants, stock options and convertible debentures will generally be treated as if the rights thereunder already have been fully exercised, except that such agreements may not be used to appear to terminate or divest ownership interests before they actually do so, in order to comply with the nonattributable equity requirements in paragraphs (b)(1)(iii)(A) and (b)(1)(iv)(A) of this section.

(viii) Persons or entities that hold interest in an applicant (or licensee) that are affiliates of each other or have an identify of interests identified in § 1.2110(c)(5)(iii) will be treated as though they were one person or entity and their ownership interests aggregated for purposes of determining an applicant's (or licensee's) compliance with the nonattributable equity requirements in paragraphs (b)(1)(iii)(A) and (b)(1)(iv)(A) of this section.

(ii) A licensee holding a license won in closed bidding (see § 24.709 of this chapter) may, during the first five years of the license term, enter into a spectrum leasing arrangement with an entity not eligible to hold such a license pursuant to the requirements of § 24.709(a) of this chapter so long as it has met its five-year construction requirement (see §§ 24.203, 24.839(a)(6) of this chapter).