It took 11 days for CBRS auction proceeds to hit $1 billion. Yesterday, just three days later, the CBRS auction take surpassed $2 billion. Eleven days for the first billion, 3 days for the second. How long before we hit the third?
The CBRS auction, or FCC Auction 105, is making coveted mid-band spectrum, which lies between 3550 and 3700 MHz, available on a county wide basis. The spectrum offers a great balance between high bandwidth capability and good range.
As of this morning, total auction proceeds were $2.1 billion, with 3 additional rounds scheduled for today. Estimates peg the total take for Auction 105 to be as low as $3 billion to $4 billion, up to around $10 billion.
The auction could last as long as two months, so at this pace, I’d place my bet on it getting closer to or maybe exceeding the high end.
CBRS applications will include augmenting 4G and 5G coverage for mobile carriers, as well as powering fixed wireless service as an alternative to wired home broadband services. There are 271 qualified bidders in the auction, representing the largest national wireless carriers, down to the smallest broadband cooperatives, and everything in between, including traditional cable companies.
The FCC is auctioning the licensed portion of the CBRS band, but an unlicensed version is available as well. There is also a strong interest in CBRS for private wireless networks.
