Lack of auction authority stymied FCC in 2023

Although the Federal Communications Commission did not have its auction authority for most of 2023, some important events came to pass. The wireless industry lobbied much of the year for reallocation of spectrum in the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, which didn’t happen. The Biden Administration delivered a plan for a National Spectrum Strategy, which includes further study of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band. And Congress agreed to legislation so that T-Mobile can take possession of the 2.5 GHz licenses that it bought and paid for. Although CTIA and other entities spent considerable time and money lobbying for a section of the lower 3 GHz band to be teed up for the wireless industry, the Department of Defense (DoD) dug in its heels and refused to budge. The DoD is the sole user of that spectrum and doesn’t want to give it up. The National Spectrum Strategy identified four other bands for near-term study, including in the 5 GHz range, the 7-8 GHz range, the 18 GHz band and the 37 GHz band. While wireless carriers always argue that they need more spectrum immediately, the industry still needs time to pay down debt incurred in prior auctions, noted New Street Research (NSR) policy analyst Blair Levin. NSR believes the study period for these bands will be several years, with the auction planning adding another couple, putting the next big spectrum auction occurring no earlier than the second half of the next Administration, or the 2027-2028 time frame.