FCC Looks to Bring More Spectrum to Marketplace and Fund National Security

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved proposed rules to bring unused 5G-grade spectrum to market by taking the first step to reauction advanced wireless service (AWS)-3 spectrum licenses in the agency’s inventory. To lay the groundwork for this reauction, the FCC’s proposed rules would update the AWS-3 service rules to reflect legislative and regulatory developments since the spectrum was originally auctioned in 2014. The proceeds from this auction will fund the FCC’s national security initiative known as the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program—more commonly known as “rip and replace”—which seeks to remove untrustworthy technology, like Huawei and ZTE equipment, from U.S. communications networks.