WASHINGTON—The FCC’s C-band auction has taken another step toward conclusion, with the commission announcing an end to bidding in the assignment phase, which also marks the conclusion of all bidding in the auction.

The assignment phase began on Feb. 8 and allowed for winning bidders from the clock auction of initial spectrum (57 bidders acquiring 5,684 licenses) to have the option to bid on specific combinations of frequencies. Those who chose not to participate in this phase of the auction will still get contiguous frequencies that correspond with the number of blocks they won.

A public notice is expected to be published in the next few business days, per the FCC, that will share the complete recap of the results of the assignment phase, including bidder identities.

The initial part of the auction generated more than $81 billion in revenue for the 280 MHz of spectrum being sold from the 3.7-3.98 GHz band. The goal of the C-band auction is to boost 5G development.

“The successful close of bidding in the C-band auction notches another win for U.S. leadership in 5G by delivering 280 MHz of the prime, mid-band spectrum needed to power high-speed internet services,” said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who would like to see additional 5G auctions take place in the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands as well.

WASHINGTON—After raising more than $80.9 billion thus far, the FCC’s C-band auction is set to continue with the assignment phase scheduled to begin on Feb. 8.

FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has released a public notice announcing the upcoming assignment phase, where bidders that won generic spectrum blocks during the clock phase of the auction will now have the chance to bid on preferred combinations of frequency-specific license assignments, consistent with their clock phase winnings.

Fifty-seven bidders won the 5,684 spectrum blocks available during the clock phase. Now, any of those bidders can bid on frequency-specific licenses, though they are not required. If they do not bid, they will be assigned contiguous frequencies corresponding to the number of generic blocks they won.

The C-band auction is selling 280 MHz of spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band for the development of 5G. Previous occupants of that spectrum will transition to the upper 4.0-4.2 GHz of the C-band over the next few years.

“This auction has exceeded expectations, and, at this point, we are pushing forward to get this critical piece of mid-band spectrum to market quickly, where it will help American consumers tap into next generation wireless services,” said Rosenworcel. “I thank the FCC staff who work so hard to ensure the success of our spectrum auctions. Few things we do have as great an impact on the day-to-day lives of the American people as our work to ensure spectrum is available for wireless connectivity.”

The FCC’s public notice explains the assignment phase process, including how to access bidding options, view sequence and timing for assignment rounds and identify what rounds they can participate in. A mock auction will take place on Feb. 4 before the real deal on Feb. 8. 

WASHINGTON—The clock phase of the C-band auction has come to a close, with the FCC announcing that its sale of mid-band 5G spectrum generated more than $80.9 billion in proceeds. In total, there were 57 bidders on 5,684 licenses.

The C-band auction was the selling of licenses in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band of spectrum, as part of the FCC’s plan to clear the lower 300 MHz of the 3.7-4.2 GHz mid-band for the purpose of 5G development. Previous occupants—primarily satellite operators—of the 3.7-3.98 GHz band will transition to the upper 4.0-4.2 GHz portion. A 20 MHz band will be used as a guard band between the satellite operators and new wireless users.

The C-band auction was the FCC's largest spectrum auction ever, with the $80.9 billion far exceeding the previous record of $44.9 billion (FCC’s 2014 AWS-3 auction).

“These results represent a strong endorsement by the private sector of the service rules and transition plan put in place by the FCC to quickly make the C-band a critical part of 5G rollout in the United States. And they vindicate the hard choices the FCC made during the C-band proceeding—and that we made them,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “The FCC confronted a host of technical, legal, practical, and political challenges in structuring this auction. It would have been easy to delay. But we rightly pushed ahead and overcame every one of those obstacles. As a result, we significantly advanced United States leadership in 5G and have enabled America’s wireless consumers to more quickly benefit from 5G services.”

The next step in the process will see winning bidders bid for frequency-specific licenses in the assignment phase. The FCC will release a public notice announcing further details, including date and time of when the assignment phase will begin.

For more information, visit the FCC’s website. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC is moving to five shorter rounds for its C-band auction, which has been drawing lots of dollars for 5G spectrum.

The auction continued with four, one-hour rounds Wednesday, Dec. 16, drawing more than $1 billion in additional gross proceeds after each round.

But according to the FCC website, starting Friday, Dec. 18, there will be five, half-hour rounds. The FCC moved from three to four rounds Dec. 11.

The FCC traditionally boosts the number of rounds and shortens them as a way to get bidders to get off the dime and speed the auction.

As of round 24, the last round Wednesday, gross bids totaled $15,242,167,882, up over $1.3 billion from the previous round's $13,890,681,482.

The FCC is auctioning 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for terrestrial 5G broadband, moving incumbent satellite operators and their clients, including broadcasters and cable operators, to the upper 200 MHZ of the band.

Estimates for the value of the band vary, but some have put it at $25 billion-$30 billion. 

FCC chairman Ajit Pai this week said that he expects that when the auction is over it will have been one of the FCC's most significant actions to advance 5G.

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of the C-Band for 5G, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that will use the remaining 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcaster and cable operator (and other) clients.

Bidders include AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

UPDATED: This story has been updated from an earlier version to share new numbers from the C-band auction.

WASHINGTON—The C-Band auction has pushed past $2 billion, totaling $2,110,528,700 in bids after three rounds.

Currently (Wednesday, Dec. 9), bidding is in three, one-hour rounds and the FCC has announced that Thursday's bidding will follow the same schedule, with rounds at 10-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m., and 4-5 p.m.

If past is prologue, the FCC will eventually increase the number of rounds and decrease bidding time to help speed the auction.

Fifty-seven bidders qualified for the auction (auction 107), which began Dec. 8. That list includes some familiar names: AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

The FCC is auctioning 5,684 flexible-use licenses for spectrum in the 3.7– 3.98 GHz band in the contiguous U.S. 

While use is flexible, bidders are expected to use it to expand their 5G footprints. There are 57 qualified bidders.

Some predictions put the value of the spectrum—280 GHz worth of mid-band frequencies—at $25 billion-$30 billion, but the C-Band Alliance says it could be worth as much as $77 billion.

WASHINGTON—At 10 a.m. ET today, Dec. 8, bidding for the C-band spectrum auction officially opened, the FCC has announced. The commission says that this is its largest mid-band 5G spectrum auction to date.

The C-band auction will make available 280 MHz of spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band for the purpose of 5G development. There are 5,684 new flexible-use overlay licenses based on Partial Economic Areas available through the auction.

The previous occupants of the C-band, which consists mostly of satellite operators, are entirely clearing the 3.7-4.0 GHz band—20 MHz are being left clear as a buffer—and relocating to the upper 200 MHz of the C-band (4.0-4.2 GHz). The first phase of the transition, which will clear 120 MHz from 3.7-3.82 GHz part of the band, will conclude on Dec. 5, 2021. The second phase, clearing the remaining spectrum, is scheduled to conclude by Dec. 5, 2023.

“This is a big day for American consumers and U.S. leadership in 5G,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “By freeing up this wide swath of critical mid-band spectrum, the FCC is paving the way for Americans to receive fast 5G wireless services. Together with the recent success of our 3.5 GHz band auction, our work to auction the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands in 2021 and the other ground-breaking spectrum auctions we’ve held since 2017, our 5G FAST Plan is in full swing. American consumers and businesses will benefit from this FCC’s efforts for year’s to come.”

For more information on the C-band auction and transition, visit TVT’s C-band page. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC’s C-band auction is less than a month away, and the full list of qualified bidders has been announced. Among the 57 companies set to take part in the auction are big names like AT&T, Cox and T-Mobile.

The C-band auction, taking place on Dec. 8, will see the sale of spectrum in the lower 3.7-3.98 GHz band to be used for the development of 5G. The current occupants of the C-band, which includes satellite operators, are going to transition to the upper 200 GHz of the C-band.

To qualify for the C-band auction, the companies’ short-form applications were deemed complete and in compliance. As a result, they are now automatically registered for the auction. The FCC says that 17 applicants did not qualify to bid.

Of the 57 companies, 22 applied and were approved for rural building credits, while 18 were granted small business credits.

The full list of 57 qualifiers is available online. 

WASHINGTON—The details for how interested parties can apply and participate in the C-band spectrum auction have been finalized by the FCC.

The FCC, during its August open meeting, finalized the application and bidding procedures for the auction of the lower 280 MHz of the C-band spectrum for 5G and other advanced wireless services. As a result of this, the spectrum’s current occupants, which include satellite operators, are being relocated to the upper 200 MHz of the mid-band spectrum.

The C-band auction will offer 5,684 new flexible-use overlay licenses based on Partial Economic Areas (PEAs) for the spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band.

This public notice establishes:

• Bidding procedures for the clock and assignment phases of the auction, including two clock phase categories of generic blocks in the 46 PEAs where certain blocks are subject to the first early clearing deadline of December 2021; 
• An assignment phase in which winning bidders for blocks subject to the first early clearing timeline will be assigned both interim and final contiguous frequency-specific license agreements; and 
• Upfront payment and minimum opening bid amounts for bidding on the licenses as well as bidding credit caps for rural service providers and small businesses, including a cap on the overall amount of bidding credits a small business bidder may apply to winning licenses in smaller markets.

With these procedures set, as well as the FCC releasing its official Cost Catalog, the C-band auction is set to proceed with its scheduled starting date, Dec. 8.

"The C-band auction is a massive undertaking, offering up to 5,684 new flexible-use overlay licenses for 5G. And this Public Notice brings us one step closer to launching this auction on December 8," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. "It establishes clock phase categories for each Partial Economic Area, which will be determined based on whether incumbent earth stations in a PEA are subject to a Phase I or Phase II relocation deadline.  It establishes clock and assignment phase procedures.  It establishes upfront payment and minimum opening bid amounts for the new flexible-use overlay licenses.  And it sets auction deadlines, as well as bidding credit caps for small businesses and rural service providers."

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who voted against these procedures, gave the following statement:

"For the first time the value of spectrum assigned in a Federal Communications Commission auction will not be determined by an efficient and effective market. Instead, bids in this auction will be distorted by a nearly $10 billion payment to incumbent satellite operators that was negotiated outside the light of day. Whatever hazy deal this agency cut with existing licensees is hard to square with our clear statutory duty to deposit auction proceeds in the United States Treasury. Moreover, this mandatory payment set by the agency falls outside of the traditional Emerging Technologies Framework, which permits voluntary, market-based transactions to repurpose spectrum for new uses. That means the public foots this $10 billion bill without the traditional tools of accountability that our auctions have relied on in the past. 

"We should have worked with Congress on a more transparent path. By doing so, we could have cleared up these ambiguities. Not just for this auction but for spectrum efforts in the future." 

For more information on the procedures surrounding the C-band auction, visit the FCC’s summary page. 

WASHINGTON—After announcing that a vote on the C-band auction procedures would be on the docket during its August open meeting, the FCC has officially shared its draft for what is known as Auction 107.

The C-band auction, which will sell mid-band spectrum previously used by satellite operators—who will be moving to the upper portion of the spectrum—with the goal of furthering the development of 5G wireless, the Internet of Things and other advanced spectrum-based services, is currently scheduled to take place on Dec. 8. This public notice provides details as to the procedures, terms, conditions, dates and deadlines for participation in the auction.

Officially, the FCC will be auctioning 5,684 flexible-use overlay licenses for spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band in the contiguous U.S. The auction will be conducted in clock phases, with bidding on generic blocks in each partial economic area, as well as an assignment phase for specific frequencies. There is a 20 MHz block that is not for sale that is set to serve as a guard band between these new services and the transitioned satellite operators.

A number of key dates were shared in the proceedings. First, an auction application tutorial is expected to be available over the internet not later than Aug. 21. The short-form application filing window will open on Sept. 9 at noon ET and close on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. ET. Upfront payments would then be due by Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. ET. A bidding tutorial via the internet is expected to be available no later than Nov. 13, and a mock auction would then take place on Dec. 3. The official start of the auction would be on Dec. 8.

The short-form applications required for participating in the auction will determine whether applicants have the legal, technical and financial qualifications to participate in the auction. In the applications, parties must select the license areas on which they may want to bid on from the available PEAs, and provide info on any partnership or agreements as relating to the auction process. The FCC will allow for some joint bidding by non-dominant carriers and designated entities, but two or more dominant carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) will not be permitted to offer joint bids.

In addition, the FCC plans to cap bidding credit discounts to an eligible small business at $25 million and $10 million on an eligible rural service provider. Also, no designated entity bidder will get more than $10 million in bidding credits for licenses won in markets of 500,000 people or less.

Anyone currently in default or delinquent on payments to the FCC will not be allowed to bid, but previous defaulters can participate as long as they are qualified and makes an upfront payment that is 50% more that what would be otherwise necessary.

For all information regarding the proposed C-band auction procedures, visit the FCC website. The FCC will vote on these proceedings at its Aug. 6 open meeting. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC has announced the agenda for its August meeting, and with the scheduled C-band auction scheduled to be only four months away at that point, that will be at the top of their to-do list.

The C-band auction is part of the process of clearing the lower 280 MHz of spectrum that was previously used for satellite and cable operations for the development of 5G. Having slated the auction for Dec. 8, the FCC says that it is on track to meet this deadline and, having circulated final draft procedures, the commissioners are set to vote during the meeting. This also comes after the FCC and a U.S. Court of Appeals denied a motion to stay the auction.

Among the things covered in this vote will be competitive bidding procedures, application requirements and deadlines governing participation in Auction 107.

Other issues regarding the C-band transition, including lump sum payment and relocation procedures, have been the subject of NPRM comments from groups like NAB and ACA Connects.

In addition to C-band, the FCC’s continued process of its Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative will also be a part of the meeting. Specifically regarding TV, the commission will vote on a World War II-era rule that required existing broadcast licenses to share facilities in certain situations; the criteria for this, per the FCC announcement, has never been met. The FCC will vote to officially eliminate it during the meeting.

Rules restricting the duplication of programming on commonly-owned broadcast radio stations, what FCC Chairman Ajit Pai calls “obsolete rules" for telecommunications relay services and rates and charges for inmate phone calls are also on the docket.

For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.  

WASHINGTON—The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has denied the second petition to delay the C-band spectrum repack and auction mandated in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order.

A politically divided FCC voted last February on a final order creating the auction of C-band mid-band satellite spectrum for terrestrial wireless, as well as approving rules for that auction, which is slated to start in December. 

Satellite earth station operator PSSI Global Services sought a stay of the order June 17 after the FCC denied the first stay. 

On June 10, the FCC denied a petition to delay the start of the auction by the same handful of international satellite companies licensed to use the band that had sought a stay in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which was also denied. 

PSSI only uses the C-band on an occasional basis, alleging it would be harmed by the spectrum scarcity resulting from the repurposing of the lower band and from potential interference from wireless companies that will get the lower portion of the band in the ensuing auction. 

The bar for securing a stay is a high one, meeting four criteria: 1) likely to prevail on the merits, 2) irreparable harm absent a stay, 3) no harm to others if a stay is granted, and 4) a stay is in the public interest. 

The Wireless Bureau said there is no imminent and severe harm and as for the public interest, it said PSSI's argument that there is no need to repurpose the C-band spectrum at all becuase there is more than sufficient mid-band spectrum "[f]lies in the face of the Commission’s determination, based on an extensive record, that making C-band spectrum available to support 5G networks as quickly as possible is critical to its overall spectrum management strategy."

WASHINGTON—All plans for the C-band auction will remain on schedule for now, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied a motion to stay the auction by a group of satellite operators.

The motion was officially filed under PSSI Global Services LLC, but was also supported by ABS Global Ltd., Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitas S.A.,Hispamar Satélites S.A and Hispasat S.A. They argued that the FCC initiated a chain of events—starting with the election by space station operators to relocate from the C-band on an accelerated schedules—that would harm them by “benefitting competing space station operators that are eligible for relocation and accelerated relocation payments and depriving them of spectrum access rights without compensation.” In addition, they said the FCC did not have the authority to modify their spectrum rights, gave out to much money in accelerated payments and arbitrarily excluded them from getting those payments.

The court ruled that the “[a]pellants have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal.” This means that the C-band auction will currently continue as planned until the court hears the challenge on its merits and gives a judgement at that time. The court has asked both parties to submit a briefing by June 29.

“Today’s ruling is great news for American consumers and U.S. leadership in 5G,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “I am very pleased that the D.C. Circuit rejected this attempt by small satellite operators with no U.S. operations in the C-band to delay our efforts to repurpose critical mid-band spectrum. The FCC will continue to defend our order on merits, and I look forward to our C-band auction beginning on Dec. 8.”

The FCC had denied a similar petition to delay the start of the auction by the same group of international satellite operators two weeks ago, according to TVT’s sister publication Multichannel News.

The C-band auction will see the transition of current C-band operators move from the top portion of the spectrum as the FCC frees up 280 MHz for 5G. More information is available on TVT’s C-band hub page.

WASHINGTON—FCC chair Ajit Pai got some tough, but not surprising, grilling on the C-Band auction at a Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee hearing Tuesday (June 16). 

He testified in person, sporting a mask (see above) though not wearing it while testifying.

Leading the charge was Financial Services and General Government chairman Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), one of the harshest critics of the FCC decision to give satellite companies close to $10 billion in incentive payments to exit the spectrum by 2021 and 2023 instead of the 2025 deadline the FCC set. 

The FCC Democrats opposed the incentive payments.

Those satellite companies have pledged to clear the first 120 MHz of spectrum in 46 partial economic areas (PEAs) by Dec. 5, 2021, then 120 MHz in the remaining PEAs and the other 180 MHz by Dec. 5, 2023. 

Kennedy pressed Pai on why the FCC did not just use its authority to mandate they get off in 2021, particularly since it was already giving those operators over $4 billion in relocation costs, whenever they exit. 

Pai said that exiting early meant the spectrum would be more valuable for wireless companies eager to get their hands on it for 5G, and so it would draw a higher price at auction, and more money for the treasury, than if the wireless operators did not clear off until 2025. 

Kennedy did not seem assuaged, returning again and again to the point that the FCC could have just mandated they exit by 2021 and kept that $10 billion for building out rural broadband. 

Kennedy asked Pai whether the FCC had the authority to mandate that exit. Pai did not provide an answer and Kennedy shot back that as a good lawyer Pai knew the answer was yes. 

Pai got some help from ranking subcommittee member Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who pointed out that the money going to the treasury could go to rural broadband if Congress decided it should go there, and Pai agreed, saying he supports that.  

Coons asked if the satellite companies had agreed not to sue the FCC over the auction as part of the deal to exit early. Pai said no, that was not a condition of the payments. 

Coons said maybe he had missed something but that threat of legal action was the critical issue: "We're going to pay you billions of dollars, you're not going to sue, and you're going to move." 

Pai said the smaller satellite companies had filed for review, but that that was always going to happen and their case was week. He said that the incentive payments had "dramatically reduced" the risk of lawsuits by the larger carriers. 

Coons said the best argument Pai had for the payments was that it was going to make the potentially auction-delaying lawsuits go away.

Pai said that incentivizing the carriers to exit spectrum early has three key public benefits: 1) 5G services years before they otherwise would, including services such as telehealth and remote learning that have become so important during the pandemic; 2) American leadership in 5G (Pai cited a story he had tweeted this week about China spending $1.4 trillion to "seize the mantle of 5G leadership; 3) a thriving innovation economy--"talent is fickle, capital is fickle," he said.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication Multichannel News.

WASHINGTON—There are no plans to postpone the December C-band auction because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to what a senior FCC official told TV Technology sister publication B&C on background.

The FCC will auction 280 MHz of C-band spectrum that was previously used by satellite operators to deliver network programming to broadcasters and cable operators so it can be used for advanced wireless.

The 3.5 GHz (CBRS) auction was previously moved from its schedule start time in June to July because of the pandemic. The FCC official told B&C that there was still plenty of “bandwidth and time” for the C-band auction. However, an adjustment to the timeline is still on the table in the event of a “compelling reason.”

Read the full story on B&C. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC’s plan to make C-band spectrum available for 5G development is now official, as the FCC adopted in a 3-2 vote rules to auction 280 MHz within the 3.7-4.2 GHz band.

The C-band auction plan was proposed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and will have 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum available through a public auction. By making the spectrum available, the FCC says it will help close the digital divide in the U.S., especially in rural areas, and help in the country's 5G development. The auction plan is also expected to generate revenue for the U.S. Treasury, while at the same time ensure “continuous and uninterrupted delivery of video programming services and other content” from satellites currently using the C-band.

The auction will consist of the 3.7-4.0 GHz portion of the C-band, which includes the 280 MHz for wireless services (3.7-3.98 GHz) and 20 MHz (3.98-4.0 GHz) to serve as a guard band for the upper 200 MHz of the band that existing satellite operators will be repacked to.

The deadline for satellite operators to exit the 3.7-4.0 GHz band will be Dec. 5, 2025. However, in hopes of speeding up the repack process, the plan will allow eligible space station operators to receive accelerated relocation payments totaling $9.7 billion if they are able to clear the spectrum early. For Phase I payments, operators must clear 120 Mhz of spectrum in 46 Partial Economic Areas by Dec. 5, 2021; Phase II covers the remaining 180 MHz and must be cleared by Dec. 5, 2023. 

The accelerated relocation payments, as well as reasonable relocation costs,  will be the responsibility of new flexible-use licensees. The FCC is creating a Relocation Payment Clearinghouse to manage this process, as well as appointing a Relocation Coordinator.

In addition, the FCC adopted service and technical rules for the flexible-use licensees and rules that require incumbent fixed microwave services licensees to relocate their point-to-point links to other bands by Dec. 5, 2023.

No official date for the C-band auction was announced, though Pai had previously identified December 2020 as a goal.

Chairman Pai and Commissioners Michael O’Rielly and Brendan Carr approved the plan. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks dissented.

Mike Rogers, chairman of 5G Action Now, issued the following statement in regards to the FCC’s approval of the C-band auction plan:

“The FCC’s vote today is a great success for the future of 5G in America. We can not afford to wait any longer to roll out 5G nationwide in America and the approval of a public auction of the spectrum is a great step to unleashing American innovation. China has a head start on cornering 5G, but with this vote we are one step closer to ensuring we don’t lost the race. Getting 5G right is critical to our country’s long term economic and national security and I applaud the FCC’s and Chairman Pai’s actions today.”

WASHINGTON—The FCC has released the agenda for its open commission meeting set for Friday, Feb. 28, and TV spectrum is a crucial aspect of what will be discussed.

First off, after Chairman Ajit Pai revealed his proposal for how spectrum should be made available in the C-band and the process for which the auction will take place, the FCC will hold its official votes on the reforming of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band to help with the development of 5G. There will also be a vote on the procedures for the C-band auction.

A number of organizations, including the NAB and AT&T, have filed comments with the FCC on specific tweaks they would like to see to the proposal.

White spaces are also set to be discussed. The specific proposal under consideration is for targeted changes to white space device rules in the TV bands (Channel 2-35) in an effort to improve broadband coverage for rural and underserved areas. While broadcasters have seemed willing to work with the computer companies interested in the white space, they maintain that any effort must be done with the protection of current TV services in mind.

The full agenda for the FCC’s open meeting is available online.

The meeting will take place on Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON—While AT&T generally approves of the FCC’s proposed plan for making C-band spectrum previously used for fixed satellite service available for 5G development, it does have a few tweaks that it sees as beneficial to the transition process.

At the top of the list is the proposal of payouts to satellite operators who accept an accelerated relocation from their current position on the C-band spectrum to the upper 200 MHz. The FCC says it plans to provide incentive payments to those operators who take on an accelerated relocation that could eventually total billions of dollars of reimbursements, which service licensees would be required to pay a portion of, AT&T says. AT&T poses the question then, what would service licensees receive in return?

With 3.7 GHz service licensees potentially paying up $10 billion for accelerate clearing, AT&T makes the case that they should then be “permitted to use their 3.7 GHz service licenses by the Phase I and Phase II deadlines without having to protect Earth stations from interference in the cleared spectrum allocated for terrestrial mobile use.”

“This would ensure that 3.7 GHz service licensees who pay satellite companies billions for early clearing are able to use their spectrum, free from any ill effects of holdouts among satellite companies or earth owner stations,” AT&T wrote.

Among the other points that AT&T brought up in its comments was the need for C-band FSS customers, including Earth station owners, programmers and other users, for a guarantee “turnkey migration,” that will help assure that services will not be impaired as a result of the transition.

Other points brought up in A&T’s comments included:

•  Multistakholder Technical Working group should be required to complete its work in a timely fashion; 
•  The Draft Auction Procedures Notice should promote spectrum contiguity by  implementing a single assignment auction for permanent spectrum positions; 
•  The Draft R&O should at least adopt partial measures to provide for continued occasional use; 
•  The Draft R&O should correct the apparent discrepancy to require clearing costs and acceleration payments only from benefitting licensees; and 
•  The Phase I PEA markets should be defined with reference to the TT&C locations ultimately approved by the commission 

 Read AT&T’s complete filing on the FCC website. 

WASHINGTON—The future of C-band spectrum will begin to be laid on Thursday, Feb. 6, as FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is set to announce his plans for the expected C-band auction that aims to create space for the development of 5G.

Pai is scheduled to give a speech on Feb. 6 at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation that will announce his plans for moving C-band spectrum forward. Feb. 6 will be the same day that he shares these plans with the FCC commissioners for their review, according to TVT’s sister publication Multichannel News.

It is widely expected that Pai’s plans consist of a public auction of 280 MHz of the 500 MHz that make up the C-band for future 5G use, as well as 20 MHz for a guard band. However, it is still uncertain how much of the auction proceeds will go to satellite operators that will need to move to smaller spectrum, as well as the cable and broadcast operators that would be impacted by those moves.

Pai’s speech will take place starting at noon ET on Feb. 6. It will be available to livestream.

WASHINGTON—The Senate Commerce Committee, which is led by a Republican majority, approved a bill on Dec. 11 that lays out details for the C-band auction in a vote that went down party lines. The bill will now go to the Senate floor for a vote before heading to the Democratic-controlled House.

The bill was approved following a series of amendments added to it by Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). The amended bill would have the FCC auction off at least 280 MHz of C-band spectrum for 5G, with at least half of the proceeds going to the U.S. treasury and 10% for rural broadband buildouts. Per the bill, the auction would also need to be held by the end of 2020.

For more information, visit TVT’s sister publication B&C.