T-Mobile, Verizon join forces on 600 MHz auction band plan

T-Mobile US joined forces with Verizon Communications to propose a band plan for the upcoming incentive auctions of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum. The partnership is notable in light of the fact that T-Mobile and Verizon have long been on opposite sides of the debate over the auctions, especially on whether to cap the amount of spectrum Verizon and AT&T can win in the auctions.

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, T-Mobile and Verizon said any band plan the FCC settles on for the 600 MHz band should satisfy four principles that they have agreed on. That includes 1) maximizing the amount of paired spectrum available for mobile broadband; 2) allowing for the cost-effective and timely development of network equipment and end-user devices; 3) facilitating a single 3GPP band class to provide interoperability across all paired blocks in the 600 MHz band; and 4) allocating for supplemental downlink use any unpaired spectrum not needed to protect 600 MHz broadband operations against interference.