WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has adopted rules to auction 160 megahertz of spectrum in the upper C-band (3.98-4.14 GHz) by July 2027.
During the July Open Meeting when the Report & Order was adopted FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that the agency is now “on track to complete an auction in less than twelve months from now.”
Speaking at the July meeting, FCC Chair Brendan Carr said "our decision today sets the stage for the FCC to run an auction of prime, mid-band spectrum next year—exceeding the 100 megahertz minimum established in the law. The lower C-band, which the FCC freed up during the previous Trump Administration, brought 5G, fixed wireless, and other innovations to countless Americans. Now, in auctioning the Upper C-Band that sits next door, we will unify the two bands to create an enormous landmass of 440 megahertz of mid-band spectrum."
"Freeing up this spectrum drives down prices, raises speeds, and enhances competition," he said. "Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, America will once again lead the world in wireless. The One Big Beautiful Bill made certain that we will put this prime, mid-band spectrum to its best use through another major FCC auction."
The idea of auctioning more C-band spectrum had been opposed by the NAB and broadcasters and is likely to usher in a period of rapid technological shift from satellites using C-band spectrum to deliver content to solutions relying on IP distribution.
In June, North American Broadcast Association director-general Rebecca Hanson told TV Tech complained “[t[here are no viable alternatives that match what C-band delivers.”
As previously reported by TV Tech’s Fred Dawson, Hanson also stressed that “[w]e have members already suffering after the first auction,” citing evidence submitted in an FCC filing by the North American Spectrum Alliance, an independent project launched last year under NABA management. “I hesitate to say broadcasters will be just fine if we can keep 80 GHz. Current constraints are already having an impact.”
During the July 22, 2026 vote on the Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration (FCC 26-46) setting up plans and rules for the auction, FCC Chair Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty approved the measures; Commissioner Anna Gomez approved in part and dissented in part.
The FCC Order plans to bridge the Lower C-band and Upper C-band to create a single, harmonized “super band” spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz)—a gigantic swath of licensed, 5G-grade mid-band spectrum that no other industrialized country can boast.
The FCC also reported that it will auction 60% more spectrum than the 100 megahertz minimum required under law, a decision that will raise tens of billions of dollars more for the U.S. Treasury to support deficit reduction and national priorities.
The FCC also stressed that the auction is on track to close by the statutory deadline of July 2027, and the FCC’s new rules ensure that the Upper C-Band can be lit up for most Americans before the end of 2030—faster than originally expected.
The FCC described additional benefits, details and features of the Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration adopted on July 22 as follows:
- The Impact: This plan puts America on a path towards massive gains that could result in at least $422 billion in GDP, 2.4 million new jobs, and $621 billion in consumer surplus by freeing up additional spectrum.
- The ‘Super Band’: The 2027 upper C-band transition will ultimately result in a 440 megahertz contiguous block of spectrum for the provision of wireless services by combining the Lower C-band (3.7-3.98 GHz) and now the Upper C-band (3.98-4.14 GHz).
- The Auction: The 2027 upper C-band auction will make available 160 megahertz of valuable mid-band spectrum through the auction of 3,248 new flexible-use spectrum licenses throughout the contiguous United States. The rules allow winning bidders to commence wireless services in the upper C-band starting in December 2030 for the top-75 markets in the contiguous United States, and in any remaining markets starting July 2031.
- The Incumbents: The rules set forth a framework that will fairly and expeditiously transition incumbent satellite operations out of the reconfigured portion of the upper C-band. Total incentives to satellite operators will be less in aggregate than those paid after the lower C-band auction, but roughly commensurate given the lower amount of spectrum being cleared.
- The Neighborhood: The new rules take steps to ensure a continued successful coexistence between wireless operations throughout the C-band and radio altimeters in the nearby 4.2–4.4 GHz band, and establishes rebates to support the domestic aviation sector in its efforts to retrofit and upgrade the performance of these critical safety tools.
- The Coordination: The item reflects extensive input and coordination from the FCC’s federal partners, including through OMB’s OIRA and NTIA’s IRAC review processes. In particular, this effort has been closely coordinated with the FAA, which is undertaking a parallel rulemaking to greatly enhance the robustness and signal rejection capabilities of radio altimeters.
- The Incentive Payments: The item proposes that winning bidders will be responsible for transition costs and incentive payments for in-band licensees, as well as rebates for the purchase and installation of upgraded radio altimeters. This total budget is well below the low-end of expected proceeds from auctioning the 160 megahertz.
- The Process: Following the Commission’s successful lower C-band auction in 2020, the FCC began work last year – under its renewed auction authority and upper C-band auction remit pursuant to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – to establish the framework necessary to successfully put this spectrum to more intensive use. The Commission built on an original Notice of Inquiry to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last November, and today adopted final rules. In the next few days, Commission staff will seek comment on auction procedures before establishing the final procedures in preparation for the auction.
The initial Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration is available here. The final document was not yet available.
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