WASHINGTON—Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is applauding the passage of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and provisions that restore the telecom regulator's auction authority.
The FCC’s spectrum auction authority, which lapsed in 2023, is restored until 2034. The bill also creates a large pipeline of spectrum to be auctioned.
“I want to extend my congratulations to President Trump and Congressional Republicans on securing this big win for the country,” Carr said in a statement. “Restoring U.S. leadership in wireless is key to the nation’s economic and national security interests. And the One Big Beautiful Bill succeeds where past efforts failed. The legislation restores the FCC’s spectrum auction authority after it lapsed in 2023, and it does so by establishing a robust pipeline of spectrum for years to come. This will create jobs, encourage innovation and expand high-speed connections to more Americans.”
In a separate statement, Republican FCC member Olivia Trusty also lauded the restoration of auction authority: “I applaud Congress for restoring the FCC’s auction authority and advancing a robust pipeline of 800 megahertz of spectrum to support American leadership in wireless innovation, economic growth, and national security. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the FCC to move swiftly and responsibly to bring this spectrum to market, helping to close the digital divide and fuel next-generation technologies.”
The bill orders the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the FCC to identify about 800 MHz of spectrum to be auctioned over the next eight years.
Only about 100 MHz of spectrum is specified in the bill; the rest must be selected from a large swath of spectrum from 1.3 GHz to 10.5 GHz. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the auctions could produce as much as $88 billion.
The bill also mandates that the FCC auction 300 MHz of spectrum, including 100 MHz megahertz in the band between 3.98 GHz and 4.2 GHz within two years after the act is passed. (See page 143 of the bill.)
