T-Mobile fights hard to keep its 2.5 GHz leases secret

T-Mobile is using its considerable legal muscle to try and prevent the terms of its 2.5 GHz spectrum leases from being revealed. This is particularly newsworthy right now because the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it would kick off the process for its Auction 108 in July 2022. Auction 108 is the auction of 2.5 GHz spectrum in the “white-space” gaps in the band that are currently lying fallow. Sometimes the auction is referred to as “an overlay auction.” When 2.5 GHz spectrum was first distributed to educational institutions in the 1980s, the licenses were granted in 35-mile-radius circles. Unfortunately, the circles leave oddly-shaped white spaces where no one owns the spectrum. This is the spectrum that will be available via Auction 108. T-Mobile is seen as the primary bidder in the auction because it wants to fill in the gaps in its nationwide 2.5 GHz coverage. Some wireless internet service providers (WISPs) also use the band and may participate in the auction. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon want to see the terms of T-Mobile’s leases with the educational institutions in order to make informed decisions about bidding. If they don't see the terms of T-Mobile's leases, then they likely won't participate in Auction 108. But T-Mobile is fighting hard to ensure that its competitors do not see the terms of its 2.5 GHz leases. It has made numerous FCC filings, and it’s also reached out to some of the educational institutions it leases spectrum from, directing them to not reveal any terms of the leases and to take down or redact sensitive information in leases that might have been posted online.