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.
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