The FCC has granted more spectrum licenses for Auction 103, saying their applications were complete and there were no petitions to deny the applications for license. 

Getting the nod were Regina G. Azucena, East Kentucky Network, Monarch Wireless. OptimERA, Inc., OTZ Telephone Cooperative, Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, , VTel Wireless, with the vast majority going to Monarch. 

The FCC's Spectrum Frontiers auction of high-band spectrum for 5G (auction 103) closed March 12, raising $7,558,703,201, with $3,084,172,898 going to pay off existing licensees and the FCC netting $4,474,530,303.  

The 35 qualified bidders in the auction competed for a whopping 3,400 MHz of flexible use, millimeter-wave, spectrum (in the upper 37-gigahertz, 39-GHz and 47-GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum — which was offered as 14,142 licenses — can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and was auctioned in 100-megahertz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

The FCC granted licenses to T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular Corp., Straight Path, ATI Sub LLC, FiberTower Spectrum Holdings, Window Wireless and Windstream earlier this month.  

Straight Path Spectrum was the top bidder in Auction 103 ($3,417,133,445), followed by FiberTower Spectrum Holdings ($2,379,103,897), and T-Mobile ($931,609,379).  

The initial applications for some winning bidders in the FCC's largest-ever spectrum auction (auction 103) have been accepted for filing, according to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Related: FCC's Biggest-Ever Spectrum Auction Officially Closes

The applications of the top spectrum winners--Straight Path Spectrum, ($3,417,133,445), FiberTower Spectrum Holdings ($2,379,103,897), and T-Mobile ($931,609,379)--passed muster, though the FCC points out that the approval is an initial pass.

"The Commission may return or dismiss the applications, however, if upon further examination, they are found to be defective or not in conformance with the Commission’s rules."

A number of other bidders have also passed initial muster, but not all winning bidder applications have secured initial approval. The FCC said it is still vetting some of those.

The FCC's Spectrum Frontiers auction of high-band spectrum for 5G (auction 103) closed March 12, raising $7,558,703,201, with $3,084,172,898 going to pay off existing licensees and the FCC netting $4,474,530,303.

The 35 qualified bidders in the auction competed for a whopping 3,400 MHz of flexible use, millimeter-wave, spectrum (in the upper 37-gigahertz, 39-GHz and 47-GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum — which was offered as 14,144 licenses — can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and was auctioned in 100-megahertz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

The FCC this week launched phase two of its microwave-band spectrum auction (103). 

The clock phase on the FCC's latest "spectrum frontiers" auction closed Jan. 30 with over $7.5 billion bid for a whopping 3,400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the upper 37-gigahertz, 39-GHz and 47-GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum — which was offered as 14,144 licenses — can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and was auctioned in 100-megahertz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

Related: FCC Tries Again to Boost 5G Spectrum Bidders

Part two, the assignment phase auction, which began Feb. 18, is among any of the license winners who want specific frequencies.  

"The top-20 PEAs will be assigned first—one PEA per assignment round—in order from PEA001 to PEA020," the FCC said. "Once the top-20 PEAs have been assigned, the remaining PEAs will be assigned." 

The FCC does not post a running tally of bids in the assignment phase, as it does for the clock phase, but will put out an announcement when the bidding has concluded.  

The auction is one of a series of high and mid-band spectrum auctions the FCC is conducting to free up more bandwidth for 5G.

The FCC took another step Thursday (Jan. 23) to speed up the bidding on high-band spectrum in its Spectrum Frontiers auction. 

The FCC has been beginning each round by raising the opening price by 10%. It now says that starting with the first round on Friday (round 82) it will raise the ante for bidding on all spectrum products in the auction by 15% each round. 

FCC Prods Bidding in 5G Spectrum Auction 

Earlier this week the FCC boosted its "activity" requirement from 95% to 100%, meaning bidders must now bid on 100% of the spectrum they are eligible to bid on in each round. 

At press time, after 80 rounds, the auction had raised $7,519,663,706 in gross proceeds, an increase of only a little under $30 million over the past half dozen rounds. 

The 35 qualified bidders in the auction are competing for a whopping 3,400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

After the initial auction, there will be a follow-on auction among any of the license winners who want specific frequencies. 

The most recent high-band ("spectrum frontiers" branded) auction, which ended last May raised $2,024,268,941 in gross proceeds after 91 rounds, but that was for approximately 700 MHz.  

The FCC is trying to goose its high-band 5G spectrum auction. 

The bidding leveled off after topping $7 billion 30 rounds ago, standing at $7,490,432,312 in gross proceeds after 74 rounds, so the FCC is requiring bidders to put up or face being cut off from further bidding. 

As of Tuesday (Jan. 21) the FCC is requiring bidders to bid on 100% of the spectrum for which they are eligible--it had been at least 95%. 

Related: FCC Boosts Pace of Spectrum Auction

Any bidder who fails to do that faces their eligibility being reduced to equal that activity--or lack of it--and possibly eliminating its ability to place future bids. 

The 35 qualified bidders in the auction are competing for a whopping 3,400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

After the initial auction, there will be a follow-on auction among any of the license winners who want specific frequencies. 

The most recent high-band ("spectrum frontiers" branded) auction, which ended last May raised $2,024,268,941 in gross proceeds after 91 rounds, but that was for approximately 700 MHz. 

The FCC's high-band spectrum auction (103) was expected to resume Wednesday (Jan. 8) after a brief hiatus, the commission indicated. 

A snow/ice storm prompted a government early closing Tuesday and the FCC suspended bidding after only one round. 

Currently, the gross bidding total stands at $6,248,994,052, up about $85 million from the previous round, with 35 qualified bidders competing for a whopping 3,400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands), the most spectrum the FCC has ever offered in an auction of any type. The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs).   

FCC chairman Ajit Pai noted the auction's $6 billion-plus take so far when talking to Consumer Technology Association president Gary Shapiro in a CES 2020 Q&A Tuesday when talking about the imperative for freeing up more spectrum, the sine qua non for next-gen wireless. 

After the initial auction, there will be a follow-on auction among any of the license winners who want specific frequencies. 

The most recent high-band ("spectrum frontiers" branded) auction, which ended last May raised $2,024,268,941 in gross proceeds after 91 rounds, but that was for approximately 700 MHz.  

FCC Spectrum Auction The FCC's high-band millimeter-wave auction blew by $1 billion Thursday on its way to a gross bid total after eight rounds, and three days, of bidding of $1,408,758,900, having already met its net revenue requirement. 

The FCC is auctioning 3,400 MHz of spectrum in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands, more spectrum than it has ever auctioned at one time. It can be used for both fixed and mobile uses and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs).  

Related: FCC Waivers Auction 103 Communications Prohibition for T-Mobile, Sprint 

The highest profile bidders are Windstream (actually the debtors in possession), T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular Corp. 

The FCC launched its latest high-band spectrum auction (auction 103) Tuesday (Dec. 10). 

The FCC launched its latest advanced wireless spectrum auction (auction 103) Tuesday (Dec. 10) and after two, two-hour rounds, the auction has drawn over $715 million in bids from a pool of 35 qualified bidders. 

The highest profile bidders for the millimeter-wave spectrum, are Windstream (actually the debtors in possession), T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular Corp. 

Related: FCC Waivers Auction 103 Communications Prohibition for T-Mobile, Sprint 

The FCC will boost the number of rounds to three starting Wednesday (Dec. 11) and shorten them to an hour apiece. 

The FCC is auctioning 3,400 megaherts of flexible use spectrum (over 14,000 licenses) in the upper microwave band (37 GHz, 39 GHz and 47 GHz), the most spectrum the FCC has ever auctioned at one time. It can be used for both fixed and mobile uses and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

Not surprisingly, the markets drawing the most interest, and money, was top market, New York, with licenses covering a population of over 25 million and number two, L.A., covering over 19 million.