Auction 108 of 2.5 GHz Spectrum Closes, Raising Less Than $428 Million

Auction 108 of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band closed after raising less than $428 million, a considerably lower amount in comparison with what we have seen in other recent auctions. The spectrum is considered mid-band, which is widely seen as supporting the optimum mixture of speed and coverage for 5G. But most of the available spectrum in the band is in rural areas. The identity of the winners has not yet been revealed, but among the 82 companies that qualified to bid in the auction were all major US wireless carriers – AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Dish. Licenses in the 2.5 GHz band are for individual counties, and up to three blocks of spectrum – ranging in size from 17.5 MHz to 50 MHz — were available per county. According to the Federal Communications Commission, the vast majority of licenses received winning bids. Of 8,017 licenses that were available, 7,972 were won. Auction 108 was completed relatively quickly – just under one month after it opened.