Competitive Carriers Association report: AIRWAVES Act Could Yield at Least $1.5 Billion for Rural Wireless

The Competitive Carriers Association report “Assessment of the Economic Impact of The Airwaves Act" estimates that at least $1.5 billion could be raised for rural wireless in upcoming auctions of spectrum in the 24 GHz and 28 GHz bands, with additional funding to come from other auctions. The bill, sponsored by Sen Cory Gardner (R-CO), would require the Federal Communications Commission to complete auctions during each of the next three calendar years and to dedicate 10% of auction proceeds toward rural wireless. According to them, the issue is that the 28 GHz spectrum auction will not cover the entire U.S. but only 61.7% of the land mass and 23.7% of the population. The report authors estimate that Auction 101 is likely to generate between $41 million and $1.1 billion, with the most likely scenario being about $561 million. Auction 102 is expected to generate between $334 million and $27.5 billion, with $14 billion being the most likely scenario.