WASHINGTON—Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has announced that he has circulated a proposal for the FCC to auction additional mid-band spectrum in the Upper C-Band to the agency's Commissioners.
The FCC reported that the proposal would allow the Commission to take an important step towards implementing President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill", which restored the FCC’s auction authority and requires the FCC to complete a system of competitive bidding for at least 100 MHz in the Upper C-band no later than July 2027.
The draft Notice will be voted on by the Commission at its November Open Meeting.
Currently few details about the draft are available. It is being circulated among the other Commissioners but is not on the agency’s website.
The proposals, however, are likely to be controversial among broadcasters because some of the spectrum in question is widely used for satellite delivery of TV, radio, video, sports, news and other media.
The October 29 draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, is in addition to proposal Carr made in February to auction additional spectrum. As part of a Notice of Inquiry adopted at the FCC’s Open Meeting on Feb. 27, 2025, the FCC is currently seeking comment on the possibility of opening up addition portions of the mid-band spectrum range known as the Upper C-band (3.98-4.2 GHz) to help meet projected spectrum demand, spur economic growth, and advance American security interests.
If the draft of the newest spectrum auction proposal is adopted at the November 20, Open Meeting, the FCC will seek comment on a range of options, including auctioning up to 180 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.98-4.2 GHz band for next-gen wireless services.
The Commission said it will consider "all options within that range, with the ultimate goal of maximizing the amount of spectrum to be repurposed as generational aviation safety upgrades occur in the adjacent band."
“President Trump has been clear that America is going to lead the world in next-generation technologies,” Carr said in a statement announcing the new proposals on October 29. “That is why the FCC’s Build America Agenda prioritizes the work needed to restore U.S. leadership in wireless. And thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the Commission now has the tools to deliver on that goal. Specifically, the Bill authorizes and requires the FCC to auction prime, mid-band spectrum in the Upper C-Band, and my proposal aims to maximize the amount of spectrum available for 5G and 6G services.”
"“Restoring America’s leadership position is important," Carr added. "After all, freeing up spectrum drives down prices for consumers, creates jobs, and increases competition. It also plays a vital role in promoting our national security and geopolitical interests. We’ve seen how the Lower C-band powers in-home and high-speed mobile broadband across the country."
More details on the positions taken by broadcasters, the NAB and other industries on autioning this spectrum are available here.
