Auctions

A looming Federal Communications Commission deadline could spur telecom companies to hurry up deal talks before restrictions on their discussions tie their hands. The FCC said in a public notice that it would stop accepting applications on Sept. 18 for two planned wireless-airwave auctions in 2018. Rules bar applicants from talking with each other from that date until the second auction ends and its winners make their down payments.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed rules to implement a recent Congressional directive to reimburse certain Low Power TV (LPTV), TV translator, and FM stations for costs incurred as a result of the FCC’s incentive auction.

Auction procedures to speed the deployment of 5G services in the 28 GHz (27.5-28.35 GHz) and 24 GHz (24.25-24.45, 24.75-25.25 GHz) bands. The FCC will offer the 28 GHz and 24 GHz band licenses through two auctions with separate application and bidding processes for each auction. The application windows will run concurrently. The bidding for the 28 GHz UMFUS licenses (Auction 101) will commence on November 14, 2018, and the bidding for the 24 GHz licenses (Auction 102) will commence after the bidding concludes in Auction 101.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed next steps to prepare the upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands for auction. In particular, auctioning the 39 GHz and upper 37 GHz bands together presents a critical opportunity for 5G deployment as it represents the largest amount of contiguous spectrum available in the millimeter-wave bands.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Thursday, August 2, 2018:

The Senate Commerce Committee took a deep dive into various government and industry efforts to make more spectrum available for 5G. Helping focus the hearing were two bills currently working their way through Congress, the SPECTRUM NOW and AIRWAVES Act. "Identifying spectrum resources not just for the next three years, but for the next 10 years and beyond is essential if we are to retain American leadership," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD). Craig Cowden, SVP of wireless technology for Charter, put in a plug for its Wi-Fi mobile broadband play.

The House Communications Subcommittee held a long-delayed Federal Communications Commission oversight hearing July 25. Notably, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stood by the FCC's decision to designate the Sinclair-Tribune deal for hearing. Full House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) took the lead in pressing Chairman Pai on President Donald Trump's tweet criticizing the FCC for not approving the Sinclair-Tribune deal and his suggestion there was a need for a conservative voice like Sinclair's.

The Federal Communications Commission July 24 began auctioning billions in broadband buildout subsidies to cable operators and other competitors to the incumbent telecommunication companies. The FCC gave incumbent telecommunication companies the first shot at its Connect America Fund (CAF) subsidies to deliver fixed broadband to rural communities. Now it is giving competitors a shot at those funds in round two (CAF II), though incumbents can jump back in as well. Round one of the Connect America Fund Phase II Auction (auction 903) began at 10 a.m.

[Speech] At my remarks during yesterday’s opening session, I talked about why we are all here: to help bring the benefits of communications technology to all the people we serve. Before taking questions from Chairman Wilkins and you in the audience, I’d like to talk briefly about how we are pursuing specific policies at the Federal Communications Commission to bring digital opportunity to the people of the United States. In particular, I’ll focus on infrastructure and spectrum.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the August Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 2, 2018: