Auctions

On Aug 7, 2019, House Commerce Committee members Billy Long (R-MO), Fred Upton (R-MI), John Shimkus (R-IL), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to commend the FCC on its progress of the Facilitate American's Superiority in 5G Technology (the 5G FAST Plan). They particularly supported efforts to make mid-band spectrum available for 5G connectivity.

In a straight party-line vote, the Republican-controlled Senate Commerce Committee has favorably reported out an amended bill that would require the Federal Communications Commission to auction, by the end of 2020, at least 280 MHz of C-Band spectrum for 5G, with at least half of the gross proceeds, and potentially more, going to the US Treasury and 10% to rural broadband buildouts. Democrats argued that allowing even 50% of the

The Federal Communications Commission Incentive Auction Task Force released a status update on the post-Incentive Auction transition which provides a good opportunity to provide an update on what's been accomplished and the work that remains to be done. Since the auction ended, the FCC has worked diligently on a 39-month, 10-phase transition in which 987 full power and Class A TV stations are being "repacked" to new frequencies.

In 2012, Congress passed legislation requiring the Federal Communications Commission to reallocate and auction T-Band spectrum used for decades by public safety licensees and fund the relocation of those licensees elsewhere. The agency has extensively analyzed the T-Band and concluded that moving forward is not viable—relocation costs for public safety licensees would likely far exceed any potential auction revenue, making it impossible to fund the relocation and comply with the mandate.

A long-awaited international deal governing how the world’s technology companies should roll out 5G technology poses serious risks to weather forecast accuracy, according to data from federal agencies and the World Meteorological Organization. Negotiators from around the world announced a deal Nov 22 at a meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for how to roll out 5G technology that operates using specific radio frequency bands.

President Donald Trump says he wants the US to dominate 5G ultra-fast internet, and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has been clearing regulation to speed the way. But now they appear to have succumbed to Washington rent-seekers and their political mouthpieces. Chairman Pai notified Congress that the FCC plans to repurpose spectrum that is currently licensed to satellite providers for 5G and auction it off to other users.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced his intent for the FCC to conduct a public auction of 280 megahertz of the C-band in letters like this to lawmakers following a weekend of speculation about how the C-Band Alliances latest proposal would be received.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has announced his plans to begin freeing up valuable airwaves within the C-Band, a part of the spectrum—the radio frequencies that our cell carriers, television stations, and others use to transmit services—historically used for satellite television. Once freed, the spectrum would be auctioned and used for 5G and other advanced wireless services. The FCC is making the right call here.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) introduced the 5G Spectrum Act. The legislation would ensure mid-band spectrum is quickly available in the market by requiring a transparent and competitive public auctioning process. The bill specifically would require that at least 50 percent of the auction revenues be reserved for the American people. The 5G Spectrum Act would:

The C-Band is a slice of spectrum that in the US that lies between 3.7 GHz and 4.2 GHz. When first authorized for commercial satellite use back in the day, these frequencies were considered far too high to have much value for terrestrial use.