The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr announced today that — at its monthly meeting, coming up July 22 — it will vote on whether to hold an auction for 160 MHz of mid-band spectrum.
The spectrum to be auctioned, at a yet unannounced time next year, is in the Upper C-Band (3.98-4.14 GHz). In the press release, the FCC said it would harmonize terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-Band to create a single “super-band” spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz).
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is confident that the use of radio signals from the FCC’s 5G auction can safely coexist with aviation after years of FAA-led testing and technical analysis,” the FCC said in the announcement of its proposed mid-band spectrum auction. “The FCC worked closely with the FAA while developing its auction rule, which contains key safeguards that protect the band of frequencies that aircraft radio altimeters use.”
The additional mid-band capability will maximize the amount of spectrum repurposed, the FCC said, while also allowing for transition for incumbent satellite services, without disrupting critical aviation safety systems in the adjacent band.
Congress required the FCC to auction at least 100 megahertz of Upper C-Band spectrum no later than July 2027.
“While more complex than your average spectrum auction, the FCC moved from NPRM to Order in record time,” Carr said in a prepared statement. “We have also coordinated with aviation and satellite stakeholders so that wireless providers can light up the Upper C-Band and provide service to most Americans by the end of 2030 — ahead of many expectations.
Carr added: “The draft Order, which the Commission will vote on during our July 22 meeting, sets the stage for the FCC to auction 160 megahertz of prime, mid-band spectrum next year—exceeding the 100 megahertz minimum established in the law.”
This week, the FCC unveiled the winners of its recent AWS-3 spectrum auction, with winning bids of more than $3.5 billion.
