Pai Announces Public Auction for C-Band Spectrum
WASHINGTON—The FCC is preparing to launch a public spectrum auction for C-band spectrum with the goal of developing 5G wireless connectivity in the mid-band spectrum, according to an announcement today from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
Pai made his plans clear in a letter to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, on Monday, Nov. 18.
Pai had previously announced that he would determine how the FCC would go about making the C-band spectrum, which resides in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, by this fall. He also outlined four principles that he believed needed to be achieved through the FCC’s rulemaking on the matter: 1) that a significant amount of C-band spectrum be made available for 5G; 2) the spectrum must be made available quickly; 3) revenue must be generated for the federal government; and 4) the services currently using C-band must be protected so as to still serve the Americans who rely on them.
“After much deliberation and a thorough review of the extensive record, I have concluded that the best way to advance these principles is through an auction of 280 megahertz of the C-band conducted by the Federal Communications Commission’s excellent staff,” Pai wrote. “With a quarter-century track record of transparent and successful auctions, I am confident that they will conduct a public auction that will afford all parties a fair opportunity to compete for this 5G spectrum, while preserving the availability of the upper 200 megahertz of this band for the continued delivery of programming.”
The C-Band Alliance had its own proposal of leading a private-run auction, but Congress and many others supported a public auction run by the FCC.
Satellite operator Eutelsat said it welcomed the decision, calling it an “important first step in expediting rapidly and equitably the clearance of C-band frequencies for mobile 5G services.”
The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association issued their own statement: “The chairman’s statement is good news for the fixed wireless industry, and WISPA believes it leaves open the possibility that with a few technical rule amendments/changes, the FCC could permit P2MP by an automated frequency coordinator to protect delivery of programming and quickly bridge digital divides in rural areas.”
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No details on the public auction have been made available as of yet.