The FCC's latest 5G spectrum auction ended Monday (August 29) after 73 rounds and $427,789,670 in gross bids.

That total, which in part reflects the fact the FCC gave out free spectrum to Tribal entities in a priority window before the auction, will be decreased by small business, rural and tribal land bidding credits of up to a 25% discount.

The flexible use licenses are for 10 years but are renewable.

T-Mobile was expected to be the major player in the auction since the spectrum fits with holes it has in its coverage areas. One veteran spectrum watcher said likely the only reason most other carriers would be bidding was to bid up how much their competitor, T-Mobile, would have to pay to fill those holes.

Also: Tribal Window Closes

The FCC opened an early Tribal window for 2.5 GHz spectrum and got more than 400 applications for the free spectrum in advance of the auction. The FCC said Monday: "Any winning bidder awarded a license in Auction 108 will not be allowed to operate within the license area of a successful Rural Tribal Priority Window applicant, even if that application remains pending at the time of issuance of the license [to the winning bidder]."

"Due to these encumbrances, a substantial number of licenses in the inventory for Auction 108 have a very small amount of unassigned area or spectrum," the organization pointed out.

The licenses can be used for any terrestrial fixed or mobile service. The licenses have buildout requirements of signal coverage of 50% of the license area within four years and 80% within eight years.

Of the over 8,000 licenses in play, 7,872 drew winning bids, while 145 drew no bids.

The auction began July 29.

The FCC voted back in 2019 to free up the band for 5G, the most likely flexible use. Educational users with the licenses can continue to use it or lease it to others (as many have already been doing), transfer it to someone else, or use it for something else.

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband. ■

With 51 rounds completed, the FCC's latest midband spectrum auction has raised just under $400 million (specifically, $391,156,630) for the treasury, with only a relative handful of licenses currently with more than one bided and Guam drawing the highest bid at $4,640,000, followed by L.A. at $3,834,000.

As of Tuesday morning, 7,679 licenses had only one bidder while only 193 had more than one and 145 had none at all. When there are no more licenses with demand exceeding supply (currently those 193) the auction will close.

Currently the FCC is holding four, one-hour rounds, but could increase the frequency and decrease the duration in a last push to prod bidders to make their best final offer.

Also: FCC to Free up 2.5 GHz for 5G

The FCC is auctioning about 8,000 county-based, flexible-use licenses for spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band, which had previously been reserved for educational broadband services (EBS) that flexible use likely to be for 5G but will now be shared.

The FCC voted back in 2019 to free up the band for 5G. Educational users with the licenses can continue to use it or lease it to others (as many have already been doing), transfer it to someone else, or use it for something else.

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband.

The FCC has been under pressure to get moving on more midband--5G sweet-spot spectrum because of its propagation characteristics--a box the 2.5 GHz auction item checks off. ■

Looking to goose its 2.5 GHz midband spectrum auction, the Federal Communications Commission said Monday (August 8) that it will be moving from two, two-hour rounds per day to four, one-hour rounds starting Wednesday, August 10.

The auction bid total has been increasing by only a few million dollars per round for over 8,000 flexible-use licenses.

In its first, six-hour round Friday, July 29, the auction bidding topped $100 million, but has only increased by about half that in the ensuing week-plus.

As of the end of round 13 Monday, the total was $159,899,600. There was more than one bidder for only 1,947 licenses, with demand not exceeding supply for the vast majority of licenses -- 5,908 -- and 162 with no bids. After round 10, bidders had ponied up $146,551,500.

There are 82 qualified bidders in the auction, including AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.

The 2.5 GHz spectrum band has been used for educational broadband services (EBS), but in 2017, with the explosion of 5G and the search for more sweet-spot midband spectrum, particularly for rural service, the FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai, concluding the band was being underused, agreed to free up some of that spectrum.

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband. ■

Day two of the Federal Communications Commission’s latest spectrum auction was pretty much a low-gear affair, with the second round, which was shortened to two hours, drawing bids of $108,464,260 on August 1. That figure was a little less than $5 million more than the $103,467,300 generated after the first, six-hour round on Friday (July 29). The third round, and last on August 1, only bumped that up another $6.8 million to $115,266,210.

The rounds moved to two-hour sessions, twice a day, on Monday (August 1), and those rounds will likely increase in frequency and ultimately be shortened again at some point to goose the bidding.

After the first round Friday (July 29), of the approximately 8,000 available flexible-use, county-based geographic overlay licenses for spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band, there were 3,454 licenses with more than one bidder, 4,395 with one bidder, and 168 with no bidders.

After round two, there were fewer licenses with more than one bidder (3,392), a few more with only one bidder (4,459) and several fewer with no bids (166).

After round three, the numbers were 3,339 licenses with more than one bidder, 4,513 with only one bidder and 165 with no bidders.

There are 82 qualified bidders in the auction, including AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.

The 2.5-GHz spectrum band has been used for educational broadband services (EBS), but in 2017, with the explosion of 5G and the search for more sweet-spot midband spectrum, particularly for rural service, the FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai, concluding the band was being underused, agreed to free up some of that spectrum.

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband. ■

The FCC drew over $100 million ($103,467,300 to be exact) in the first round of its 2.5 GHz auction, its latest effort to free up midband spectrum for 5G.

There was only one, six-hour round on Friday, the first day of the auction. Qualified bidders include AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.

The L.A. market drew the highest bid at $2.9 million.

The 2.5 GHz spectrum had been used, the FCC says underused, by educational broadband services (EBS), but the FCC voted to open it up to commercial 5G operations.

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband.

Also: FCC Closes Tribal Window for 12 GHz

The FCC has eliminated use requirements and leasing restrictions on the band. ■

Bidding has begun in the Federal Communications Commission’s latest midband spectrum auction, with over 8,000 flexible-use licenses available in the 2.5-GHz band.

Qualified bidders include AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular.

“We all know there are gaps in 5G coverage, especially in rural America, and this auction is a unique opportunity to fill them in,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said following the Friday morning (July 29), 10 a.m. launch. “I am grateful to the teams that have worked so hard to both stand up this auction and ensure the success of our efforts to make these airwaves available to tribes to support wireless service in their communities.”

Also: FCC Closes Tribal Window for 12 GHz

Congress appears poised to pass legislation reauthorizing the FCC's spectrum auction authority. Without that reauthorization, the agency could run into logistical issues if the auction extends beyond September 30, when the current authorization expires.

There is only a single, six-hour round to start with, then the auction moves to two, two-hour rounds per day until further notice.

The FCC is opening up midband spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band for 5G. It is currently used -- or underused, the FCC says -- by educational broadband services (EBS).

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions. It was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband.

The FCC has eliminated use requirements and leasing restrictions on the band.

It also created an early local priority window for tribal nations that drew more than 400 applications. ■

The House has voted to extend the FCC's spectrum auction authority and to free up more money for a suspect network tech rip and replace program. The legislation, H.R. 7624, the “Spectrum Innovation Act of 2022,” now must pass the Senate and be signed by the President or the FCC's spectrum auction authority will soon expire.

The bill was introduced by Chairman Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and 20 original bipartisan cosponsors.

Among the many things the bill does (see below for more) is to extend the FCC's spectrum auction authority to March 21, 2024. That authority expires September 30 of this year unless it is reauthorized.

The legislation would also make available additional frequencies in the 3.1–3.45 GHz band for shared federal and non-federal use, or a combination thereof, and provide more funds for the Secure and Trusted Reimbursement Program and a newly authorized Next Generation 9-1-1 grant program from spectrum auction proceeds. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 336-90.

The FCC said that it is short $3.08 billion of the funds it needs to reimburse everyone eligible to receive money to rip and replace suspect network technology, as the FCC and Congress have mandated.

"The Spectrum Innovation Act preserves United States leadership in wireless technology and ensures Americans stay connected," said House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wash.). "Through this legislation, Congress is taking steps to protect national security, improve our public safety communications, and continue to push the Administration to manage our nation’s airwaves more effectively."

"CTIA commends the House for its swift passage of the Spectrum Innovation Act and the leadership of Chairman Doyle, Ranking Member Latta, and the bill's additional cosponsors," said CTIA senior VP, government affairs, Kelly Cole. "Authorizing and properly equipping the FCC to conduct auctions while filling our nation’s spectrum pipeline with key mid-band spectrum, is essential to fueling the rollout of robust 5G networks and protect America’s wireless leadership."

"NATE [The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association] applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2022 and is grateful for the leadership of Chairman Doyle, Ranking Member Latta and the bill’s additional cosponsors,” said NATE President Todd Schlekeway. [Our] members are on the front lines transforming these valuable spectrum airwaves into connectivity for enterprise and consumers. This legislation will allow more industry access to valuable mid-band spectrum which equates to more deployment opportunities for NATE member companies and 5G connectivity for American citizens." ■

The Federal Communications Commission said 82 applicants have qualified to bid on new midband spectrum in the upcoming 2.5-GHz auction scheduled to begin July 29. The FCC said 11 applicants had not qualified.

Qualified bidders include AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.

Bidders can get early access to the bidding system July 22 and the FCC will hold a mock auction July 26 and 27.

The real auction will begin with a single, six-hour, bidding round July 29 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), and move to two, two-hour rounds on August 1 (10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-4 p.m.) going forward, with the pace of the auction changing depending on the progress of the bidding. The FCC increases the number of rounds and decreases the length to goose the auction when bidding slows.

The FCC is opening up midband spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band for 5G. It is currently used, the FCC says underused, by educational broadband services (EBS).

EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband.

Also: FCC Closes Tribal Window for 12 GHz

The FCC has eliminated use requirements and leasing restrictions on the band.

It also created an early local priority window for tribal nations that drew over 400 applications. ■

The Federal Communications Commission said it has handed out flexible-use licenses to the winning bidders in its 3.45-GHz band spectrum auction, which closed in January.

The FCC issued 4,041 licenses to winning bidders, who ponied up more than $22 billion for the commercial wireless broadband spectrum. AT&T was the big winner with over $9 billion in licenses. Dish Network (bidding as Weminuche LLC) was second with $7.3 billion, followed by T-Mobile at $2.9 billion.

The spectrum can be used for either fixed or mobile service, with the exception of aeronautical mobile. Licenses are renewable with initial license periods of no more than 15 years. Winning bidders have benchmarks for building out service to a set percentage of users. For example, for service to internet of things [IoT] devices, service must be available within four years to 35% of the license area, and 65% within eight years. Missing that first benchmark reduces a license term by one year. Missing the second means automatic termination of the license and no chance to get it back.

“The licenses we are granting today represent a wider variety of providers, including small businesses [the FCC said that 13 of the 23 winning bidders qualified as small businesses, who got a $25 million bidding credit] and rural carriers, who will help deliver on the promise of 5G to every corner of the country,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Building on the success of this auction, we are hard at work preparing for the 2.5 GHz auction starting in July.

Last March, the FCC voted to allocate the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for flexible use, complete the relocation of secondary non-federal commercial users, and sunset amateur use of a portion of the band. ■

The Federal Communications Commission picked up a little more than $600 million in additional gross revenue from its auction of 3.45-GHz midband spectrum for 5G wireless uses.

That is according to the FCC’s accounting of the auction’s gross proceeds after the assignment phase, which officially ended the auction earlier this month at $22,513,601,811 in combined gross proceeds for both the clock and assignment phases.

The gross proceeds in the clock phase alone, which closed in November, were $21,888,007,794.

In the assignment phase, winning bidders who wished to could bid — online or by phone — for specific frequencies. Those who chose not to participate in the follow-on assignment auction still got contiguous frequencies that correspond to the number of blocks they won.

With the assignment phase over, the FCC will be publishing a list of the winning clock phase auction bidders, which were not made public while the assignment phase of the auction was still ongoing due to competitive concerns.

Among those bidding were AT&T, Verizon Communications and T-Mobile, but no big cable broadband names. Cable broadband operators had warned that the way the auction was structured — specifically the license sizes — would discourage them from bidding.

The FCC auctioned 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band that the Department of Defense said it was willing to give up/share so long as its operations — radar, for example — are protected from interference. Winners can use the spectrum for either fixed or mobile service.

The FCC is considering putting new restrictions on wireless use of C-Band spectrum, including a nationwide power reduction, as the Biden Administration works on how best to free up that spectrum for 5G without risking interference to critical aviation communications.

Wireless deployments in the band were delayed from fall given concerns by the Federal Aviation Administration, but are now scheduled to launch January 5, 2022.

That is according to FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel in written answers to questions posed by Senate Commerce chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in advance of her confirmation to a new, five-year, term.

Also: Aviation Groups Warn of Serious Impacts From C-Band 5G Rollouts

According to a copy of those answers, Rosenworcel said that information it received* after adopting the framework for C-Band spectrum sharing suggested that the presence of C-Band operations could cause some erroneous altimeter readings.

Given that new info, she told Cantwell, the FCC is taking the report "very seriously," serious enough to open a proceeding to review the findings and whether any changes need to be made to the C-Band rules.

But she also said that, "out of an abundance of caution," the FCC, as part of ongoing discussions with the FAA, is considering a number of potential new interference mitigation strategies, including creating exclusion zones around airports and helipads, reducing power nationwide, and limiting "skyward" transmissions.

Last month, AT&T and Verizon, the biggest winners in the C-Band auction, said they would delay until January their use of the spectrum for which they paid billions of dollars at auction. That decision came after the FAA expressed its continuing interference concerns about C-Band to The Wall Street Journal and put out a bulletin advising pilots, aircraft owners, manufacturers and others on the potential impact of 5G flexible use operations in the C-Band on radio altimeters (RAs), which gauge how close a plane is to terrain.

But while the companies agreed to reduce 5G power levels, the coalition said those mitigation efforts were "inadequate and far too narrow." The coalition pitched the FCC on its own counter-proposal that "provides additional safeguards in, around, and on the approach to airports and heliports," one of those mitigation strategies the FCC is considering.

The FCC voted in 2020 to free up 300 MHz of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) satellite spectrum for terrestrial 5G broadband, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that are being relocated to the remaining upper 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcasters and cable operators (and other) clients, and to relay video from the field to the studio.

*A report submitted by Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) titled "Assessment of C-Band Mobile Telecommunications Interference Impact on Low Range Radar Altimeter Operations." ■

Bidding was scheduled to begin Thursday (Dec. 9) in the assignment phase of the FCC's 3.45 GHz auction.

The clock phase, where companies bid for contiguous spectrum blocks, ended last month, grossing $21,888,007,794--before bidding credits are factored in, which will slightly lower that total--the FCC provided a $25 million bidding credit for small businesses and a $10 million credit for rural providers.

In the assignment phase, winning bidders who wish to can bid--online or by phone--for specific frequencies. Those who choose not to participate in the follow-on assignment auction still get contiguous frequencies that correspond to the number of blocks they won.

Last March, the FCC voted to allocate the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for flexible use, complete the relocation of secondary non-federal commercial users, and sunset amateur use of a portion of the band.

The winning bidders are still in a quiet period, so can't identify themselves or talk about whether or not they are bidding in the assignment phase. ■

With little movement in the top markets and increases of only tens of millions of dollars per round in the rest of the country, the Federal Communications Commission is looking to get bidders in the 3.45-GHz midband spectrum auction off the sidelines and move toward the finish line.

After the second of what will be seven 20-minute rounds per day (round 85), the auction had raised $21,426,504,290 in gross bids (up less than $20 million from $21,408,060,830 in round 84). That is about 50% higher than the reserve price the FCC set of $14.775 billion to make sure the auction covers the price of relocating federal users of the 100 MHz of the band the Department of Defense agreed to share.

“Bidders are continuing to focus their excess demand in mid to small PEAs where prices are relatively low,” said law firm Wiley’s auction-watching team. “Because the competition is focused on small markets, average bid prices are increasing extremely slowly and are most likely near their final values.”

The auction began Oct. 5 with 33 bidders, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Cable broadband operators had argued that the way the auction was structured — specifically the license sizes — would discourage them from bidding.

But the auction has still become the FCC’s third-highest-grossing sale in history, behind the C-band and AWS-3 auctions.

New York and Los Angeles — the two top markets in terms of aggregate bids, with close to a quarter billion dollars apiece — drew a flurry of activity in the beginning of the auction, but have not drawn higher bids in a host of recent rounds.

With bids only increasing by a few tens of millions of dollars per round, the Federal Communications Commission has decided to goose the 3.45-GHz midband spectrum auction.

Currently, there are five, 30-minute rounds per day, but the FCC signaled Friday that it was ramping that up, big time.

Starting Tuesday (Nov. 2), there will be seven rounds per day, 20 minutes each.

The FCC made no announcement of the change, simply showing the new schedule on its auction dashboard.

After round 75 Friday, there was $21,097,657,532 in gross bids, a figure that nets out at slightly less due to bidding credits.

Three weeks ago, the FCC went from three, hour rounds per day to five, 20 minute rounds.

The FCC is auctioning 4,060  flexible-use licenses that it expects to be used for 5G, though they can be used for virtually any fixed or mobile broadband service. Licenses are renewable for terms of no more than 15 years. There is a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The Department of Defense identified the 100 MHz of spectrum it was willing to give up/share so long as its operations--radar for example--are protected from interference.

The auction launched Oct. 5 under a congressional mandate to auction the spectrum by year's end.

Earlier this week the auction became the third-highest in aggregate gross bids in FCC history.

The Federal Communications Commission's 3.45-GHz 5G spectrum auction has pushed past $21 billion as competition continues for licenses in the smaller markets.

The top two markets in terms of aggregate bids are, not surprisingly, Los Angeles and New York. Bidding for each has about topped out, or at least has leveled off, at a little under one-quarter of a billion dollars — the most recent bid price (after round 74) for L.A. was $239,780,000 and for New York City, $234,163,000.

The FCC has not increased the number of rounds from the current five per day, though it could take that action of others to goose the auction.

The FCC is auctioning 4,060 flexible-use licenses that it expects to be used for 5G, though they can be used for virtually any fixed or mobile broadband service. Licenses are renewable for no more than 15 years. There is a 40-MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The Department of Defense identified the 100 MHz of spectrum it was willing to give up or share as long as its operations — radar, for example — are protected from interference.

The auction launched Oct. 5 under a congressional mandate to auction the spectrum by year's end.

Earlier this week the auction became the third highest in aggregate gross bids in FCC history.

The Federal Communications Commisssion‘s 3.45-GHz spectrum auction is now the agency‘s third highest-grossing spectrum auction of all time, with $19,876,808,838 in aggregate bids after round 58, pushing past the broadcast incentive auction‘s $19.768 billion gross proceeds total at closing back in 2017.

The 3.45 GHz auction has met its reserve price, so could close any time demand exceeds supply across all product in the auction, but it continues at a five-round-per-day pace.

The 3.45 GHz auction, which launched Oct. 5, has a ways to go before it would displace the top two-grossing auctions — $44.899 billion for the AWS-3 auction and the reigning champion, the C-band auction‘s $81.164 billion.

That is according to D.C. communications firm Wiley (as well as the FCC‘s own dashboard), which is keeping close tabs on the bidding.

The $1 billion-per-round increases in bids that characterized last week have leveled off considerably as the top markets reached their near-saturation point--both New York and L.A. are at about a quarter billion dollars apiece in license bids — and the heavier bidding shifted to smaller markets and dollar amounts.

Wiley pointed out that demand for the spectrum has been generally strong, though arguably less so than some previous auctions. Cable broadband operators and others had argued that the way the FCC set up the auction and the license sizes could discourage participation. There were no big cable broadband names among the bidders: the major players are AT&T, Verizon Communications and T-Mobile.

The auction includes a mix of licenses, ones that have to be coordinated with incumbent Department of Defense users — a little over 40%, according to Wiley —and ones that don‘t, with the latter generally drawing the higher bids.

DOD has agreed to share 100 MHz of the spectrum that is used for things like radar systems, so long as the new licensed users don't cause undue interference.

The FCC is auctioning 4,060 flexible-use licenses that it expects to be used for 5G, though they can be used for virtually any fixed or mobile broadband service. Licenses are renewable for terms of no more than 15 years. There is a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The auction launched Oct. 5, under a congressional mandate to auction the spectrum by year's end.

The Federal Communications Commission‘s 3.45-GHz midband spectrum auction has topped its reserve price ($14,775,354,330), drawing $15,007,420,806 in aggregate bids after round 40 Wednesday, meaning the auction can close whenever bidding finally winds down. 

The auction launched Oct. 5, under a congressional mandate to sell off the spectrum by year-end.

Bidding increased by leaps and billion-dollar bounds per round over the past few days after the FCC increased the number of rounds and decreased the duration, something it traditionally does to goose its spectrum auctions.

Also Read: FCC Speeding Up Auction Yet Again

The auction will still need to attract more bidders‘ bucks — there are 33 qualified bidders — if it is to return any money to the Treasury, since the reserve basically covers the cost of relocating incumbent its incumbent federal user, the Defense Department. 

Cable broadband operators warned that the way the FCC set up the auction could discourage participation and depress the price. Among the major players in the auction are AT&T, T-Mobile and Cellco Partnership (Verizon Wireless).

The Defense Department has agreed to share 100 Megahertz of the spectrum that uses for things like radar systems, as long as the new licensed users don‘t cause undue interference.

The FCC is auctioning 4,060 flexible-use licenses that it expects to be used for 5G, though they can be used for virtually any fixed or mobile broadband service. Licenses are renewable for terms of no more than 15 years. There is a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The FCC is providing a $25 million bidding credit for small businesses and a $10 million credit for rural providers.

After 30 rounds of bidding in the Federal Communications Commission‘s 3.45-Gigahertz midband spectrum auction, the aggregate total — $7,706,005,000 — is over halfway to meeting the agency‘s reserve price of $14,775,354,330.

The auction launched Oct. 5.

The FCC increased the number of rounds to five per day on Friday (Oct. 15), and over the past three rounds, the aggregate bids have increased by over $1 billion per round, well above the previous pace.

Only four days ago, the bidding had just nudged above $3 billion.

Also Read: FCC Opens Up 3.45 GHz Band

The FCC is auctioning flexible licenses for 100 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 3.45-GHz band. The spectrum is being shared with the Department of Defense, which identified the 100 MHz it said it could share so long as there were interference protections in place.

The spectrum can be used for either fixed or mobile service, with the exception of aeronautical mobile. Licenses are renewable with initial license periods of no more than 15 years. Winning bidders have benchmarks for building out service to a set percentage of users. For example, for service to internet of things [IoT] devices, service must be available within four years to 35% of the license area, and 65% within eight years. Missing that first benchmark reduces a license term by one year. Missing the second means automatic termination of the license and no chance to get it back.

The FCC is auctioning the 100 MHz spectrum in blocks of 10 MHz, with a 40-MHz limit on how much spectrum any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The FCC has made another move to speed up bidding in the 3.45 GHz midband spectrum auction.

The FCC is auctioning flexible-sue licenses that will almost certainly be used for 5G, particularly given that the biggest bidders are AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

The auction launched Oct. 5 and, as of round 19 late Wednesday (Oct. 13) had drawn bids of just over $3 billion. It will have to raise almost $15 billion in bids to meet the FCC's reserve price, after which the auction could close.

That is because it will cost about that much to clear the 100 MHz of spectrum currently used by the Department of Defense, which identified that swath as being shareable with commercial users so long as they don't interfere with nearby DOD systems like radar.

The FCC signaled that as of Friday, Oct. 15, it will increase the frequency of bids from four per day to five, and shorten the rounds from an hour to a half-hour.

Unlike past auctions, the FCC is taking those actions without announcing them in advance on the auction web site, whose announcements page at press time remained blank despite the latest move and an earlier one that increased the rounds per day from three to four.

It is typical for the FCC to make such moves to try and get bidders off the sidelines and move the auction along.

Congress mandated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 that the FCC come up with a system of competitive bidding by year's end for the 100 MHz of spectrum the Defense Department identified for sharing in the band. Congress set a December 2021 deadline for the auction.

The FCC is auctioning the 100 MHz spectrum in 10 MHz spectrum blocks — as commissioner Geoffrey Starks had advocated — with a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The FCC is providing a $25 million bidding credit for small businesses and a $10 million credit for rural providers.

After a week of bidding, the Federal Communications Commission's 3.45-Gigahertz midband spectrum auction has nudged past the $2 billion mark in aggregate bids.

The auction still has quite a ways to go before it meets the reserve price of almost $15 billion. Tuesday (Oct. 12) was the first day of four rounds per day — it had been three — as the FCC tries to goose the proceedings.

Also Read: NCTA, Others Tell Congress FCC Has 3.45 GHz Auction Wrong

Cable operators and others have argued that the way the FCC structured the auction — specifically the size of the licenses — would discourage participation and reduce the chance for a successful auction.

After round 14, the auction has drawn $2,077,337,800 in offers for flexible-use licenses, the likely use for which will be 5G. Among the bidders are AT&T, T-Mobile and Cellco Partnership (Verizon Wireless).

The bidders are competing for 4,060 flexible use licenses comprising 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. They can be used for fixed or mobile service. The spectrum is subject to sharing with the band’s incumbent user, the Department of Defense, which identified the 100 MHz it said it could share with commercial operations as long as there were interference protections.

The renewable licenses run initially for 15 years and are subject to performance requirements. There are small business, rural and tribal business credits, capped at $25 million for small business and $10 milion for rural service providers.

The FCC has made its first move to speed up the 3.45 GHz midband spectrum auction.

On Tuesday (Oct. 12), the FCC signaled it is adding a fourth, one-hour, round per day to goose the process.

There had been three, hour rounds per, day.

After round 12, bids totaled $1,571,803,600. The auction launched Oct. 5 with a reserve price of $14,775,354,330. That is the bid total the FCC will need to close the auction successfully because it will cost about that much to clear the spectrum for use.

Also Read: FCC Opens 3.45 GHz Band for 5G flexibility

The Department of Defense is the primary user of the band for military systems (like key radar applications), but identified 100 MHz of the spectrum that it could share with commercial users so long as they protect against harmful interference.

The FCC is auctioning the 100 MHz spectrum in 10 MHz spectrum blocks--as commissioner Geoffrey Starks had advocated--with a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single partial economic area (PEA). Cable operators had argued that using those larger PEAs would result in less than robust participation in the auction by competitors to the big telecoms and had asked the FCC to reconsider that proposal.

After seven rounds, the Federal Communications Commission‘s 3.45 GHz midband spectrum auction has pushed past the $1 billion mark in bids — $1,078,382,800.

Winning bidders must share the 100 Megahertz of spectrum up for grabs with the Department of Defense, which is its incumbent occupant. The auction is for flexible licenses, although the expectation is they will be used for 5G wireless.

Among the bidders are AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

The bidding has to reach the reserve price of $14,775,354,330 for it to be able to close successfully. That is because it will cost about that much to clear the spectrum for use.

Also Read: FCC Auction Bids Inch Up

Some estimates for the take from the final auction have gone as high as $25 billion.

Up for grabs are 4,060 licenses in 10 blocks in each partial economic area (PEA), with a 40-MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single PEA. The licenses are subject to sharing requirements, at least in some locations.

Cable operators and others had argued that using the partial economic area metric was the wrong way to go and would discourage auction participation by competitors to the big telecom bidders, and had asked the FCC to reconsider that proposal.

Congress mandated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that the FCC come up with a system of competitive bidding by year-end for the 100 MHz of spectrum the Defense Department identified for sharing in the band.

Congress had set a December 2021 deadline for auctioning the 3.45 GHz band.

The auction will consist of the current clock phase, with bidding on spectrum blocks, and an assignment phase among the winning bidders for specific frequencies. There is a reserve price on the spectrum of $14 billion-plus.

After the first day of the FCC's latest 5G spectrum auction (Tuesday, Oct. 5), bidding had reached $672,410,700, with New York and L.A. drawing the top bids.

The auction still has quite a ways to go before it reaches the reserve price of $14,775,354,330, the minimum that has to be bid in aggregate before the auction could close.

There are 33 bidders in the mix for 4,060 flexible use licenses--they can be used for fixed or mobile service--comprising 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. The spectrum is subject to sharing with the Department of Defense, the incumbent user in the band. DOD identified the 100 MHz it said it could share with commercial operations so long as there were interference protections.

The renewable licenses are for 15 years, initially, and are subject to performance requirements. There are small business, rural and tribal business credits, capped at $25 million for small business and $10 million for rural service providers.

Currently, the FCC is conducting three, one-hour rounds per day.

The FCC has launched its latest auction (110) of midband spectrum, generally considered the sweet spot for 5G due to its propagation characteristics.

The FCC is auctioning flexible licenses for 100 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band.

Acting FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel had argued during the last administration that the FCC was too focused on high-band spectrum and not enough on midband.

“These airwaves are a critical part of unlocking the 5G promise everywhere in the country," Rosenworcel said.

Also Read: FCC Opens 3.45 GHz Band for Flexible Use

Even if Rosenworcel hadn't been focused on midband, she was under orders to launch the auction.

Congress mandated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 that the FCC come up with a system of competitive bidding by year's end for the 100 MHz of spectrum the Defense Department identified for sharing in the band. It set a December 2021 deadline for the auction.

Auction winners will be sharing the band with incumbent federal users, which must be protected from interference.

Back in March, the FCC voted unanimously on how to open up the swath of high-value midband spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band--currently used by DOD for key radar applications--for commercial wireless broadband (5G) and, separately, approved proposed applications and bidding processes for the auction.

The FCC is auctioning the 100 MHz spectrum in 10 MHz spectrum blocks — as commissioner Geoffrey Starks had advocated — with a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single area.

The FCC is providing a $25 million bidding credit for small businesses and a $10 million credit for rural providers.

The FCC has voted unanimously on how to open up a swath of high-value midband spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band--currently used by DOD for key radar applications--for commercial wireless broadband (5G) and, separately, approved proposed application and bidding processes for the auction (auction 110) of that 100 MHz.

It is seeking comment on those auction processes.

The FCC voted to allocate the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for flexible use, complete the relocation of secondary non-federal commercial users and sunset amateur use of a portion of the band.

Also Read: DOD Agrees to Share Midband Spectrum

The FCC is auctioning the 100 MHz spectrum in 10 MHz spectrum blocks--as commissioner Geoffrey Starks had advocated--with a 40 MHz limit on how much any one bidder can acquire in a single partial economic area (PEA). Cable operators had argued that using those larger PEAs would result in less than robust participation in the auction by competitors to the big telecoms and had asked the FCC to reconsider that proposal.

“I appreciate that my colleagues agreed with my request to reduce the size of the spectrum blocks in the band to 10 megahertz," said Starks. "This change – coupled with the 40 megahertz spectrum aggregation limit -- should increase competition, encourage more efficient bidding, and create opportunities for smaller bidders, particularly the rural and regional carriers that are critical to bringing advanced services to our hardest-to-reach communities.”

The FCC will provide a $25 million bidding credit for small businesses and a $10 million credit for rural providers.

Commissioner Brendan Carr, who concurred in part, would have preferred the FCC not impose an up-front 40 MHz aggregation limit, but said the item got a lot of things right, including licensing the spectrum "over geographic areas that line up with our approach in C Band and that are well-suited for macro operations."

Acting chair Jessica Rosenworcel said the item has the most aggressive buildout obligations of any 5G spectrum auction, with an infrastructure buildout twice as fast as required in other 5G bands.

Congress mandated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that the FCC come up with a system of competitive bidding by year's end for the 100 MHz of spectrum the Defense Department identified for sharing in the band.

Congress has set a December 2021 deadline for auctioning the 3.45 GHz band. The FCC is planning to start the auction in October.

The auction will consist of a clock phase, with bidding on spectrum blocks, and an assignment phase among the winning bidders for specific frequencies. There is a reserve price on the spectrum of $14 billion-plus.

"NATE [The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association] commends the FCC for its approval today of a second report and order that will make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G services,” said director of legislative & regulatory affairs Jim Goldwater. “The Association is excited by efforts by the FCC and Congress to make more mid-band spectrum available for fifth generation wireless services. Additional access to spectrum, particularly in the mid-band range, will advance the country’s goals of expanding 5G while providing more deployment opportunities for our member companies and their hard-working technicians."

“We applaud Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel and the FCC for their swift action to bring the 3.45 GHz band to auction under a framework that will help build our 5G Economy and close the digital divide," said Meredith Attwell Baker, president and CEO or CTIA, the wireless association. "Wireless services are helping to jump start our economic recovery, creating jobs and providing critical connections at a time when so much of our lives has moved online. Licensed mid-band spectrum plays a vital role in enabling our world-leading mobile networks, and we look forward to a successful auction later this year.”

“We applaud the FCC's efforts today to accelerate 5G deployments for American consumers and businesses," said Ligado EVP and chief legal officer Valerie Green. "By voting to make available more mid-band spectrum, the FCC is increasing access to a key resource that will help create robust next-generation networks across the country and support efforts to modernize our country’s infrastructure." 

“The FCC’s vote today was a missed opportunity to take a step back and open up a much larger amount of 3 GHz military spectrum using a sharing framework that enables a wider variety of users and use cases," sid Michael Calbrese of New America's Open Technology Institute. "Unfortunately, in a Commission divided 2-2, the combination of a statutory auction deadline and the need to raise over $14 billion to clear military radar has resulted in a framework that makes the licenses affordable only to the biggest mobile carriers. We expect a repeat of the recent C-band auction, in which AT&T and Verizon won 90 percent of the licenses.”

In an unusual alliance, cable operators, Google, Public Knowledge and others have told Congress the FCC is taking the wrong approach to the upcoming 3.45 -3.55 GHz (3.45 GHz band) auction, in particular the size of the licenses it plans to auction.

Congress mandated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that the FCC come up with a system of competitive bidding by year's end for the 100 MHz of spectrum the Defense Department identified.

Also Read: DOD Agrees to Share Midband Spectrum

In a letter to top House and Senate Democrats and Republicans, the groups, which included NCTA-the Internet & Television Association and individual cable/broadband operators, said they were concerned that the large partial economic areas to be licensed, similar to the FCC's C-band auction, as "proposed would not foster the kind of robust participation and innovation that made the CBRS auction a success and could also result in tepid investment and build out in rural areas where Americans need broadband more than ever before."

They point out that the rules the FCC adopted for the CBRS band auction, including the license size, drew a record 271 qualified bidders, 228 of which won licenses in the auction, including "regional carriers, wireless internet service providers, cable companies, manufacturers of agricultural equipment, universities, real estate firms, energy companies, electric utilities, tribes, and others... By comparison, in the recent C-band auction, only 57 applicants qualified to bid and only 21 bidders were successful," with only three bidders--Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile--winning the vast majority of licenses.

They asked the legislators to "urge" the Commission to, instead, "follow proven aspects of the successful CBRS framework for the 3.45 GHz band," which they said would encourage robust participation.  

They did not elaborate, but in the CBRS auction, the FCC decided on county-sized licenses, a compromise between the smaller census tracts and the larger partial economic areas (PAL) licenses.

Smaller licenses mean lower prices and a larger pool of bidders that can afford them. For example, the bidders getting the most licenses in the CBRS auction were Wetterhorn Wireless with 5,492, followed by SAL Spectrum with 1,569. In the C-band auction, the top license winners were Verizon with 3,511 licenses, followed by AT&T with 1,621 licenses.

The groups also said the $13.4 billion estimated cost of clearing the spectrum would mean the reserve price would have to be almost $15 billion, "likely putting licenses out of reach for all but the three largest nationwide wireless operators."

Congress has set a December 2021 deadline for auctioning the 3.45 GHz band. The FCC is planning to start the auction in October.

The assignment phase of the C-Band auction has concluded, which was the follow-on auction among winning bidders for specific frequencies.

Also Read: The C-Band Follow-on Auction Begins

The clock auction of initial spectrum blocks (280 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.7–3.98 GHz band) was the largest-ever auction of midband spectrum. It began Dec. 8, 2020, and ended Jan. 15 with record gross proceeds of $80,916,832,754 for 5,684 licenses for generic spectrum blocks. There were 57 bidders and all 5,684 licenses sold.

Also Read: FCC Opens Window for Updated C-Band Transition Plans

The second, assignment phase, auction launched Feb. 8. In that auction, winning bidders who chose to could bid on specific combinations of frequencies. Those who chose not to participate in the follow-on assignment auction still get contiguous frequencies that correspond to the number of blocks they won. 

The FCC said Wednesday (Feb. 17) that it would be issuing a public notice in the next few business days--suggesting it might be next week--"with complete round-by-round auction results, including bidder identities."

Among the prominent bidders in the clock auction were AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

The FCC's C-Band assignment phase auction began Monday (Feb. 8).

The first phase of the C-Band auction--a clock auction--ended Jan. 15 with gross proceeds of $80,916,832,754 for 5,684 licenses for generic spectrum blocks. 

In the second, assignment phase, winning bidders who choose to can bid on specific combinations of frequencies. Those who choose not to participate in the follow-on assignment auction still get contiguous frequencies that correspond to the number of blocks they won. 

Also Read: FCC Issues Final Call for C-Band Earth Stations

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) satellite spectrum for terrestrial 5G broadband, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that are being relocated to the remaining upper 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcasters and cable operators (and other) clients, and to relay video from the field to the studio.

Also Read: FCC Opens Window for Updated C-Band Transition Plans

The FCC said its auction staff will be available to answer bidders' questions during the auction, but the questions have to come from "an authorized bidder, the contact person, or the certifying official on the qualified bidder’s [application].

The C-Band Auction is looking like it could wrap up as soon as Friday (Jan. 15).

The FCC has been auctioning 5,684 new flexible-use overlay terrestrial licenses for midband spectrum in the 3.7–3.98 GHz satellite band in the contiguous United States.

Also Read: C-Band Auction Slows to Trickle

As of round 94 at the end of the day Thursday (Jan. 14), total gross proceeds were $80,915,978,754, having only risen a few hundred thousand dollars over round 93's $80,915,631,764, with only one generic spectrum "product" currently with more demand than supply and the other 451 with demand equal to supply and none with demand less than supply.

The auction, which has generated almost double the gross proceeds of the previous FCC spectrum auction record-holder, ends when demand does not exceed supply for any product.

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) satellite spectrum for terrestrial 5G broadband, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that are being relocated to the remaining upper 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcasters and cable operators (and other) clients, and to relay video from the field to the studio.

Also Read: Cable Ops Say C-Band Bucks Should Be Use-Specific

The first phase of that repack is scheduled to conclude by December 2021.

"The bidding we have seen, in my view, represents a strong endorsement by the private sector of the rules that the FCC has put in place to transition this spectrum to 5G," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in remarks Friday to the information Technology Industry Council. "Industry clearly has confidence that this spectrum will become available quickly and will be critical to 5G deployment."

"Gangbusters" would appear to be the word of the day, or days, as the description of how the FCC's C-Band spectrum auction is going as it continues to grow by billion-dollar leaps and bounds.

As of the first round (39) of the day Tuesday (Dec. 22), the gross bid total was $54,983,533,204, up more than $4 billion from the previous round total of $50,844,653,164, likely a record for a single-round spectrum auction bid increase.

One early estimate pegged the value of the spectrum at $25 billion-$30 billion, so now it is headed for the higher estimate of $70-billion plus offered up early on by the C-Band Alliance.

It has already blown by the previous record for gross proceeds in an FCC spectrum auction. The FCC's 2014 AWS-3 auction, the previous record holder, closed with $44,899,451,600 in gross proceeds, while the C-Band auction appears far from wrapping up given the pace of bidding.

Bidders will get a rest after two rounds Wednesday (Dec. 23) as the FCC takes a holiday break until Monday, Jan. 4.

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of the C-Band for 5G, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that will use the remaining 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcaster and cable operator (and other) clients.

Bidders include AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

While it took more than a week for the FCC's C-Band auction to top $10 billion in gross proceeds Dec. 16, it took it only until the last round a day later to top $20 billion.

Estimates for the value of the spectrum have ranged from a low of $25 billion to as high as $70 billion-plus.

Also Read: FCC's C-Band Auction Launches

As of round 28--the last round Thursday (Dec. 17) the total was $21,447,601,360, up almost $2 billion from round 27 ($19,686,102,960).

FCC chairman Ajit Pai predicted earlier in the week that the auction would be one of the FCC's most significant steps in advancing 5G.

It freed up 280 MHz of the midband, C-band, spectrum for auction. They are flexible-use licenses, so the FCC does not say they have to be used for 5G, but that is what they will almost certainly be used for.

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of the C-Band for 5G, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that will use the remaining 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcaster and cable operator (and other) clients.

Bidders include AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

Starting Friday (Dec. 18), the FCC moved to more and shorter rounds to try to speed the auction.

Only seven days into the FCC's C-Band auction, bidding topped $10 billion as of the last round Tuesday (Dec. 15).

The total gross proceeds after round 20 of the auction, which launched Dec. 8, were $10,504,473,550, up more than a billion dollars from $9,566,525,750 in round 19.

Also Read: C-Band Auction Launches

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said this week that he thought the bidding on 280 MHz of prime midband spectrum was going "very well" and that "when it was all said and done," which could be after he leaves Jan. 20, "this is going to be one of our most significant actions to date on 5G."

The FCC is auctioning flexible spectrum licenses, so they would technically not have to be used for 5G, but that appears to be what the bidders mostly have their eyes on.

Those bidders include AT&T, Cellco Partnership, Cox, T-Mobile, and United States Cellular.

Also Read: C-Band Stakeholder Advice: Play Nice

The FCC voted last February to free up 300 MHz of the C-Band for 5G, 280 of that to be auctioned and 20 MHz to be used as a guard band between wireless users and the incumbent satellite operators that will use the remaining 200 MHz to continue to deliver network programming to broadcaster and cable operator (and other) clients.

Pai said that there were some anxious moments on Dec. 8 when there were still outstanding court challenges to the auction. "We hadn't yet heard from the court and so I was wondering: 'Geez, is this court going to stop the auction. Then, that morning about two hours before the auction started, that court issued its one-page decision saying the FCC got it right. That was incredible vindication...'"

The FCC's C-Band auction pushed past $5 billion in bids Monday (Dec. 14) to $5,449,181,500 after 13 rounds, up almost a half-billion dollars from $4,954,406,500 in round 12 Friday afternoon.

The auction, the largest of midband spectrum, will continue with four, one-hour rounds per day through at least Wednesday (Dec. 16) according to the FCC.

Bidding in Auction 107 (as the C-Band auction is designated) began Dec. 8. The auction rules specify upfront minimum opening bid amounts as well as bidding credit caps for rural service providers and small businesses.

Also Read: FCC Opens Window on C-Band Transition

Estimates for the value of the mid-band "sweet spot" 5G spectrum range from $25 billion-$30 billion in one reckoning to as much as $70 billion-plus.

The is the auction of 280 MHz of spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band for terrestrial 5G. It is forcing the relocation of satellite operations to the upper portion of the band. Those operations include the satellite delivery of cable and broadcast programming from networks to stations and systems, and the relay of video from the field to the studio.

Also Read: FCC Sets C-Band Auction for December

Satellite operators are getting a payout for moving early, while cable operators and broadcasters are getting their repack moving expenses covered. The first phase of the repack is scheduled to conclude by December 2021.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Monday in a podcast for 5G Action Now that he thought the bidding was going "very well" and he thought when it was all said and done, which could be after he exits Jan. 20, it would be one of the FCC's most significant efforts to speed 5G.

The FCC's long-awaited C-Band midband spectrum auction has begun.

That is the auction of 280 MHz of spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band for terrestrial 5G that is forcing the relocation of satellite operations to the upper portion of the band. Those operations include the satellite delivery of cable and broadcast programming from networks to stations and systems, and the relay of video from the field to the studio.

The first phase of that repack is scheduled to conclude by December 2021.

Related: FCC Opens Window on Updated C-Band Transition Plans

It is the largest-ever auction of midband spectrum.

The auction launched at 10 a.m. Tuesday, offering up 5,684 flexible-use licenses in partial economic areas and in contiguous spectrum blocks.

Some estimates have put the value of the spectrum at as much as $30 billion.

Related: Verizon is Top CBRS Auction Bidder

“This is a big day for American consumers and U.S. leadership in 5G,” said FCC chairman Ajit Pai of the auction's launch. “By freeing up this wide swath of critical mid-band spectrum, the FCC is paving the way for Americans to receive fast 5G wireless services. Together with the recent success of our 3.5 GHz [CBRS] band auction, our work to auction the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands in 2021, and the other ground-breaking spectrum auctions we’ve held since 2017, our 5G FAST Plan is in full swing."

“With today’s auction of the C-band spectrum, the United States is taking a great step forward to unleashing American innovators and entrepreneurs, and ensuring that Washington and not Beijing shapes our telecommunication and 5G future," said Mike Rogers, chairman of 5G Action Now and former House Intelligence Committee chairman. "We hope efforts to divert funds or upset negotiations can be avoided during this ongoing process. That we finally arrived at the auction is due to the leadership, dedication, and drive of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. I congratulate him and his team on this great accomplishment.”

"This auction is a decisive win for taxpayers, helping to deliver internet speeds potentially up to ten times faster than 4G," said the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. "It will also eliminate the necessity of pricey infrastructure. This means that consumers across the nation will have access to more affordable internet of a vastly higher quality. It will also alleviate the tax burden of wasteful government-owned and operated networks that cost millions and serve relatively few."

The FCC Tuesday (Aug. 25) concluded its first 5G midband spectrum auction, the CBRS auction (auction 105). The auction launched July 23.

Over 76 rounds, the auction grossed $4,585,663,345, or about the low middle of pre-auction estimates. Winning bids were placed on 20,625 of 22,631 licenses, the most licenses ever offered in one FCC auction, or more than 91.1% of the available licenses.

Related: FCC Launches First 5G Mid-Band Auction 

There were 271 eligible bidders, but the FCC won't identify who won what for "a few days." Among the eligible bidders were AT&T, Cox, Shenandoah Cable TV, USSC, and Windstream.

Sasha Javid, COO of BitPath and former top FCC auction official, suggests who bid what could be quite revealing, providing the answer to how much Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile/Sprint "are willing to pay for spectrum blocks that require frequency coordination and strict power limits?"

The FCC was auctioning 70 MHz worth of county-based Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 3550-3650 MHz band. Each license is for a 10 MHz unpaired channel.

The band is being shared by federal and non-federal users, with incumbents--Navy radar, for example--having the top priority, followed by PALs and then general authorized users (GAAs). 

“This is a banner day for American leadership in 5G and for American consumers," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. "The 3.5 GHz auction has concluded, and I can say unequivocally:  It was a resounding success. The strong demand for licenses was the direct result of this Commission’s reforms to the rules for the 3.5 GHz band—reforms that would not have been possible without the leadership and hard work of my colleague, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. This auction has been a key part of our 5G FAST Plan and our ongoing push to make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G.   look forward to this important spectrum being put to use quickly to provide service to the American people.  And I look forward to the Commission making available 280 more megahertz of mid-band spectrum for 5G in the C-band auction beginning on Dec. 8.”

Once the FCC identifies the winners, "we’ll see where licensees have created larger market areas by looking at contiguous counties and spectrum blocks," said Mark Gibson, director, business development, for CommScope. "This will help determine the extent to which licensees are interested in CMA-like or nationwide service. New licensees who want to put their spectrum to use will start deploying CBSDs and claiming their protected coverage in their respective counties. These protected coverage areas, known as PAL Protection Areas (PPAs), will be protected by the SAS from interference from other PPAs and from GAA operation."

Louis Peraertz, VP of policy for WISPA, the alliance of fixed wireless internet service providers, said the $4.585 billion is "a lot of shekels" and suggests "wholehearted confidence in the CBRS sharing model to find and better employ underutilized spectrum. Indications are emerging that the auction resulted in robust competition outside of the top 20 markets, far exceeding expectations. We hope and trust that those of our members who bid were successful. This participation reveals the growth and viability of the fixed wireless model in bringing Internet connectivity to the very hardest to reach Americans. Hungry consumers win. The digital divide becomes that much smaller. Congratulations, FCC and all the auction participants, on a job well done!”

The 280 megahertz of midband spectrum which is intended for 5G and other advanced services has been fully approved to go to auction starting Tuesday, Dec. 8, under a plan that the Federal Communications Commission adopted on Aug. 6. The controversial auction of the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz midband frequencies is expected to generate 5,684 new flexible-use overlay licenses and about $10 billion in payments to spectrum holders.

The new plan envisions procedures to ensure that auction winners receive contiguous spectrum blocks that will enable wide channel bandwidths to support 5G deployment. In the FCC’s partisan 3-2 decision, Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Sparks dissented from the process by which the auction plan was implemented.

Chairman Ajit Pai acknowledged the dissent. “That’s why we rejected politically-motivated calls to do literally nothing until Congress passed a law on the subject,” Pai said, noting that Congress has not addressed the issue in the six months since the FCC made plans for the midband auction.

Bidding in Auction 107 (as the C-band auction is designated) will begin on Dec. 8. There will be two clock-phase categories of certain parts of Partial Economic Areas (PEAs) s that are scheduled for the first early clearing deadline in December 2021. The rules also specify upfront payment and minimum opening bid amounts as well as bidding credit caps for rural service providers and small businesses.

“Midband already is providing hundreds of megabits of 5G mobile performance in markets across the country,” commissioner Brendan Carr said, citing the spectrum’s value in new telehealth, remote learning and work-from-home activities. “We can be sure that this midband capacity will help us meet” further demands.

In her partial dissenting statement, Rosenworcel acknowledged that the midband ruling “may prove to be one of the more consequential auctions in this agency’s history” because the spectrum is “uniquely suited for next-generation 5G service.” But she cautioned that this was the first time that the FCC alone determined the value of spectrum, rather than letting “an efficient and effective market” set the price.

“Instead, bids in this auction will be distorted by a nearly $10 billion payment to incumbent satellite operators that was negotiated outside the light of day,” Rosenworcel said. “That means the public foots this $10 billion bill without the traditional tools of accountability that our auctions have relied on in the past.”

“We should have worked with Congress on a more transparent path,” she said.

Some Saw Rushed Process

ACA Connects president and CEO Matthew Polka, whose group represents smaller, independent MSOs, criticized “the rush to get things done” during which the FCC’s Wireless Bureau “wholly discarded the directions of the commission.

“The bureau could have taken another couple of months to get the lump sum amount right without compromising the C-band auction schedule or the accelerated transition deadlines,” Polka said. He said that “hundreds of MVPDs who were relying on the text of the FCC’s order will now be forced to abandon their shovel-ready plans to deploy and use fiber as a satellite replacement.”

Meredith Attwell Baker, president and CEO of CTIA, the wireless industry association, called the decision an “important milestone [toward] American leadership in 5G.”

“Keeping the C-band auction on schedule is critical to making sure we have the midband spectrum we need,” she said, adding that CTIA looks forward “to a successful auction … to bring more midband spectrum to market.”

After the 31st round, the FCC's CBRS auction (auction 105) has raised $2,576,015,200 in gross proceeds.

It is the auction of 70 MHz worth of county-based Priority Access Licenses (PALs) (a whopping 22,631 of them) in the 3550-3650 MHz 93.5 GHz band. It is the most-ever flexible-use licenses available in a single auction, the FCC said. Each license will be a 10 MHz unpaired channel.  

Related: CBRS Auction Tops $1 Billion

The auction is intended "to further deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other advanced spectrum-based services in the United States." 

The action will resume Monday (Aug. 10) with no change to the format of three rounds per day, one-and-a-half-hours per round.

Analysts at law firm Wiley Rein, which has been following the auction closely, points out that bids have been places in all but 18 counties (15 in Alaska, two in American Samoa, and one in the Northern Marianas).

They say that heading into week four of the auction, bidding remains strong but that some bidding could shift from more higher-priced markets to less expensive ones.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has approved a number of bipartisan communication-related bills by voice vote, including a stand-alone bill to cancel the T-band auction, which almost nobody wants the FCC to have to go through with, and a bill that would require the FCC to consider "market entry barriers for socially disadvantaged individuals" in its reports to Congress on competition in the media marketplace.  

That came at a marathon (four hours) July 15 markup, where a total of 30 bipartisan bills were approved with a dearth of no votes and a wealth of agreement. It was the first fully virtual markup in the committee, and one of the most collegial such sessions in recent memory. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) said all the bills were "bursting with common sense." 

The virtual hearing featured the now common glitches of muted talkers, cross-talk, and some lower resolution video, but there were no major issues. 

Related: FCC's Pai Joins Call for Congress to Ax T-Band Auction 

H.R. 451, the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2019, was introduced by Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Al Green (D-Tex.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.).  

The FCC is currently slated to reclaim spectrum from first responders for auction, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has asked Congress to reverse that decision. In the 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, Congress required the FCC to reallocate and auction the spectrum, which has been used for decades by public safety licensees, and to fund the relocation of those users elsewhere.   

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said Congress can't let the T-band auction go forward in 2021 because the move would cost more than the spectrum would bring at auction and could put emergency communications at risk in the interim. He said he did not usually agree with Pai but did when it came to the T-band. 

H.R. 5567, the Measuring the Economics Driving Investments and Access for Diversity Act of 2020 (or “MEDIA Diversity Act for short) was introduced by Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Tex.). It would make sure the FCC looked at what opportunities socially disadvantaged individuals have, or don't have, to be players in the communications space when it conducts its annual review of the communications marketplace. The FCC is also currently under a court order to better explain the impact of its deregulatory policies on minority and women ownership of media properties.

Rep. Veasey urged swift passage of the bill, which he said could help solve the problem of diversity and inclusion in media ownership, diversity he said was imperative." 

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), ranking member of the committee, said that as a former broadcast licensee he could not agree more that getting more diverse voices in front of and behind the camera and microphone is essential. 

Also passed along to the House for a vote were: 

H.Res. 549, a resolution "reaffirming the commitment to media diversity and pledging to work with media entities and diverse stakeholders to develop common ground solutions to eliminate barriers to media diversity." It has no force of law but expresses the sense of the Congress. 

H.R. 5918, which directs the FCC to investigate and issue reports after activation of the FCC's Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and to make improvements to network outage reporting and ensuring they are reported to 911 centers, introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui, Anna Eshoo, Mike Thompson, and Jared Huffman (all D-Calif.). 

H.R. 6096, the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act of 2020, introduced by Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Pete Olson (R-Tex.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).  

The bill would boost FCC oversight of wireless emergency alert systems including by encouraging states to set up their own emergency communications committees and by establishing a system for collecting info on false alerts. (False alerts has been on D.C.'s plate since the false wireless alert of an impending nuclear attack in Hawaii in January 2018.) The FCC would also have to look in to updating the emergency alert system (EAS), including by potentially issuing them over the internet, including via streaming services given how many viewers have moved to those platforms. 

H.R. 6624, the Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act of 2020 or the “USA Telecommunications Act,” introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), chairman of the committee, Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-Ore.), and Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Tex.) and Doris Matsui.  

The bill would provide grants--up to $750 million--to promote and support the deployment of interoperable Open RAN (radio access network) wireless network technology throughout the country. Those are networks that rely more on the software tech the U.S. dominates rather than the 5G hardware tech in the supply chain that Chinese companies dominate. It is part of a larger effort to remove Chinese telecom tech from U.S. networks as a security risk. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said the bill would offer up "trusted and cost-effective alternatives to Huawei and ZTE."

Eshoo, a co-sponsor of the bill, said she has been pointing for a decade to the "opaque entanglements" of Huawei and ZTE and yet they have proliferated in U.S. networks. She said the bill would improve the cybersecurity of wireless networks.

H.R. 4194, the "National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019." 

The bill designates 988 as the national suicide hotline number, which the FCC has identified as the best choice for an easier-to-access number for the hotline. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) pointed out that such access is even more important for those "in a dark place" because of the pandemic. 

H.R. 7310, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act of 2020, which was introduced by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.).

The bill would modernize the federal spectrum IT management systems of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, the President's chief telecom policy advisor. 

Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), a bill sponsor, said he hoped the bill would address some of the "chaos" regarding FCC decisions about federal spectrum resources.

The FCC and NTIA have had run-ins over sharing and repurposing some federal spectrum for commercial unlicensed and licensed use.

At the end of the hearing, Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.) thanked both sides of the aisle for working together, something the press does not often give it credit for, he said. He said he was going to make sure he tweeted the fact that the committee had approved 30 bipartisan bills and advised his colleagues to do likewise. "If we all do that we can get past the 10 or 12 people who actually witnessed this."

There has been some confusion about just when the FCC's TV station repack actually ended--July 3, when the 10th and last phase concluded, according to the FCC's longstanding timeline, or July 13, which the FCC said Monday was the "deadline established for television stations to move off their pre-auction channel assignments."

Actually, it's a little of both, but it takes some explaining.

An FCC spokesperson did the honors:

"When we refer to July 13, 2020, we refer to the overall deadline for channels vacating their pre-auction channels and clearing the 600 MHz Band. The Commission in the Incentive Auction Report and Order created a 39 month transition period that ran from the date the auction closed, which was April 13, 2017, so the transition period ends pursuant to Commission rules on July 13, 2020."

But wait, there's more.

"The Commission also delegated authority to the staff to create a more detailed plan to accomplish the broadcast transition. Pursuant to that authority, the Incentive Auction Task Force created the Transition Scheduling Plan, which was subject to notice and comment and was adopted in January 2017. It created a 10-phased transition within the 39-month period to implement the transition. The deadline assigned to phase 10 by the staff was July 3, 2020, which created a few days between the end of phase 10 and the 39-month deadline.

"The staff provided a few extensions from the end of phase 10 to July 13 today at 11:59 p.m. due to unforeseen circumstances, and the stations subject to those extensions are still transitioning within that period which are reflected on the change log on the Commission’s website. In addition, there are a few additional stations that received extensions beyond July 13 but those will be completed soon and they do not implicate the 600 MHz band."

The FCC has given that last half-dozen stations until early September to complete their transitions because they do not implicate the spectrum bought by carriers, so the July 13 deadline for turning over the spectrum is still met. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pointed out Monday (July 13) that they did not implicate that carrier spectrum because the channels were either in spectrum broadcasters are retaining or they were in the duplex gap, which is "buffer" spectrum.

So, as the FCC put it: "[A]ll of the valuable low-band airwaves sold in the ground-breaking broadcast incentive auction are now available for wireless mobile broadband services," as of July 13, which they said was the key deadline, and the one that was met.

But FCC officials added that they knew the job was not yet done until all stations, including some 15% of the 987-station total on temporary channels, were in new permanent homes, something the National Association of Broadcasters seconded in marking the July 13 deadline.

The FCC Monday (July 13) marked the end of the 39-month TV station repack into smaller spectrum space following the FCC's auction of some of that broadcast spectrum for wireless back in 2017.

The FCC gave six stations an extension of their move until September but the key for the FCC, as it announced Monday, is that "all of the valuable low-band airwaves sold in the ground-breaking broadcast incentive auction are now available for wireless mobile broadband services."

Almost 1,000 full power TV stations (987)--and twice as many low powers--were repacked in 10 phases. Congress allocated over $2 billion to pay for those moves by broadcasters, as well as for the re-tuning of headends by cable operators to receive the new channels.

Related: House OKs Repack Bucks Boost

The FCC auctioned 84 MHz of broadcast spectrum for wireless. The auction ended March 30, 2017.

Only 41 stations wound up giving up their spectrum and going out of business, with the rest of the stations that gave up spectrum striking deals to share spectrum with another station.

About 15% of the 987 broadcast stations that had to move to new frequencies are on temporary facilities, so the FCC's job in completing the station move is not quite done.

“Today represents a milestone in the Commission’s effort to repurpose spectrum to meet the demands of wireless consumers,” said FCC chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. “I want to thank the broadcast and wireless industries, the tower crews, the equipment manufacturers, and the radio frequency engineers who support them for the hard work they have done over the past 39 months to make the benefits of the broadcast incentive auction a reality. I also want to thank the FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force, along with a team of professionals from across the Commission, who worked in a proactive, flexible, and collaborative way with industry throughout the transition. I appreciate their deep commitment to public service and their dedication to making this challenging project a success for American consumers.”

“I am incredibly proud of the broadcast television industry for its herculean efforts to meet the FCC’s aggressive repacking deadlines, despite complex and extenuating circumstances," said National Association of Broadcasters Presdient Gordon Smith. 

“NAB thanks the FCC staff for their flexibility in working with stations to facilitate transitions and grant extensions when possible. We are also grateful to Congress for allocating the additional funds needed to fully reimburse broadcasters for costs associated with these mandatory moves.

“There is still much work to be done. To meet FCC deadlines, many stations have been required to operate on temporary facilities that do not serve all station viewers. NAB will continue to work with the FCC to ensure that these stations are made whole, and that affected viewers regain access to their local channels."

The Republican leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee have the FCC's back when it comes to reclaiming satellite C-band spectrum for terrestrial 5G. 

In a letter to FCC chairman Ajit Pai, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the committee, and John Thune (R-S.D.) urged the FCC to meet its Dec. 8 deadline for launching the auction. 

Last week, the FCC denied a petition by some satellite operators to delay the auction. 

Related: FCC Denies Petition to Delay C-Band Payment Comments 

The FCC voted unanimously to reclaim 300 MHz from the 500 MHz in the C-band, auctioning 280 MHz for 5G wireless and 20 MHz for a guard band. The other 200 MHz will house the satellite operators who deliver network programming to cable operators and broadcasters. 

"We welcome the Federal Communications Commission’s continued efforts to make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G," they wrote. "The FCC’s sound and decisive approach to free up 280 megahertz of C-Band spectrum for flexible use will help deliver 5G services to all Americans. It will also help promote investment and innovation in new 5G applications and services and address America’s mid-band spectrum deficit." 

Related: FCC Gets Early C-Band Clearing Agreements 

The Republicans said clearing mid-band spectrum ASAP is all about winning the race to 5G, something President Trump has made a national priority.

Starting a new “accelerated relocation payments” process, Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai has proposed a C-band spectrum auction that would trigger up to $9.7 billion in payments to incumbent satellite operators that use the bandwidth, with initial payouts beginning by late next year. That sum is in the middle range of predicted amounts for reallocating and repacking the bandwidth to accommodate both new 5G wireless services and traditional satellite video delivery.

The auction will begin Dec. 8. In a speech, Pai predicted the plan would be greeted with challenges about whether the projected auction target revenue is too high or too low.

He was right about the challenges, although many of the groups involved in the looming proceeding are withholding official responses until the FCC adopts the proposal on Feb. 28.

Details About the Draft Rules

Pai's draft rules would make the lower 280 megahertz of the C-band (3.7 to 3.98 GHz) available for flexible use, including for 5G. The 20 MHz above that (3.98 to 4 GHz) would serve as a guard band. Existing satellite operations (delivering video programming to cable headends and broadcasters) would be repacked into the upper 200 MHz (4.0 to 4.2 GHz) of the band, with relocation costs covered by the auction and paid directly by winning bidders to the satellite carriers.

Satellite operators could receive accelerated relocation payments if they can clear the lower portion of the C-band on a speeded-up timeline, thus advancing the national priority of making spectrum available for 5G deployment more quickly.

In a Feb. 6 speech at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Pai said the payments "would create powerful incentives for incumbent operators to expedite the transition." His accelerated time frame calls for clearing the lower 100 MHz of the C-band in 46 of the nation’s top 50 "Partial Economic Areas" ( about 55% to 60% of U.S. households) by September 2021 and reclaiming the remaining spectrum by September 2023.

“Satellite companies don’t need the entire C-band to provide the same services they are providing today,” Pai said. “This creates an opportunity for a consumer-friendly transition."

He said the agency considered a private auction to sell off the spectrum, but concluded that “bidders would be less likely to participate in an untested private auction, one that was described in our record as 'fiendishly complex.’”

Pai said the goal is for funds to be transferred "quickly in order to free up spectrum for 5G sooner rather than later."

"This transition will be much faster if we can create powerful incentives for incumbent operators to expedite the transition,” he said. "And to make sure they follow through — they would only be paid the full amount if in fact they did so. That is why I favor targeted accelerated relocation payments.

“I don’t favor accelerated relocation payments because they are in the private interest of satellite companies,” Pai added. “I favor accelerated relocation payments because they are in the public interest.”

Predictable Responses About Fees

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who has opposed a big payout to satellite providers, characterized Pai's plan as “much too high,” referring to the “foreign satellite companies” that operate C-band services.

The plan also was quickly challeng e d by the Democratic chairs of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Communications and Technology Subcommittee. Committee chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and subcommittee chairman Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), in a joint statement, insisted that the plan "only reiterates the need for legislation."

"The questionable legal basis for the satellite incentives will likely result in litigation, which will delay the deployment of 5G," they said. "Moreover, without Congressional action, this auction will not fund critical public safety infrastructure or bridge the digital divide."

They said they will "continue to work with our Republican colleagues to achieve that end.”

The C-Band Alliance, which includes satellite operators Intelsat, SES and Telesat, called Pai's comments "significant" but otherwise noncommit tally acknowledged that the "draft order reflects the tireless efforts of many over the past several years to ensure that this critical spectrum comes to market U.S."

Pai's Republican FCC colleagues, Michael O’Rielly and Brendan Carr, support his plan.

But Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel fretted that Pai's plan ignores congressional intent and is “putting the future of 5G service on shaky legal ground.” A spokesman for commissioner Geoffrey Starks said his office has just received the proposal and is "reviewing it closely."

On the cable front, ACA Connects said it would withhold comment until after it reviews the FCC's official proposed order. NCTA-The Internet & Television Association also had "no comment.”

With the gross proceeds from the FCC's latest high-band spectrum (Spectrum Frontiers) auction showing little round-to-round increases, the FCC has taken another step to goose bidding and speed the auction of spectrum for 5G.

Starting Wednesday (Jan. 29), the FCC is increasing the number of rounds from five to seven, and shortening the rounds from 30 minutes to 20.

At press time, the gross bidding total was $7,560,741,954, up only a few million in the last 16 rounds from $7,519,663,706 after round 80.

On Jan. 23, the FCC boosted the required bid increase per round from 10% to 15% in an effort to boost bidding.

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. 

In an age of 5G technological prowess, the so-called rural digital divide remains a vexing thorn in the side of policymakers. So much so, in fact, that it unites both sides of the aisle that more needs to be done to get all Americans online no matter where they live.

The most recent and prominent of these efforts is the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunities Fund (RDOF) proposal. Later this month the FCC will vote on the ten-year, $20 billion RDOF plan to get more broadband out to rural Americans. Its central feature employs a competitive reverse auction process, which in the past has brought many large and small companies with innovative networks and business models to the table to compete and deliver broadband to unserved Americans. In fact, in the previous highly successful CAF Phase II auction, the FCC used this auction design format to provide support to over 710,000 locations in 45 states, proving that competition by diverse companies throughout the auction is the most efficient way to provide faster broadband networks across the Nation.

Will the RDOF auction bring a broad pool of bidders together to best ensure the plan’s success?

It can if it closely adheres to its successful CAF II model.

How?

The CAF II model more inclusively enables an important group of small rural innovators – namely, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) – to meaningfully participate in all of the bidding rounds, thereby maximizing limited taxpayer dollars, and providing a larger palette of nimble solutions, which can flexibly and cost-consciously scale to rural communities.

During the CAF Phase II auction, WISPs bid in all phases of the auction, from round one, beyond the clearing round 12, and through to the last round 18. WISPs’ active participation in the auction helped reduce the level of federal support needed to provide faster broadband to 45 states from $1.98 billion to $1.49 billion. As a result, many of America’s hardest to serve communities are now receiving robust and evolving broadband solutions where none existed before.

WISPs use “fixed wireless” architecture, which employs spectrum instead of wires, to deliver high-speed broadband service to more than 6 million, mainly rural Americans. They can bring broadband to customers at 15% of the cost of a fiber provider virtually overnight, even in the most challenging of geographies.

By the end of 2020, WISPs will have pumped approximately $4.4 billion directly into the economy, creating nearly a $10 billion indirect effect on the U.S. GDP. This output will keep growing. The WISP marketplace expands at about a 15% per-year clip – several times faster than the rest of the fixed broadband industry. It confirms WISPs are adept at quickly, cost-effectively and currently – not at some distant time in the future – meeting both the demands of rural consumers and the vital national policy objective of bringing faster broadband networks to all Americans no matter where they live.

The Commission, Congress and the Administration must be commended for their efforts to bridge the rural digital divide. RDOF shows a tremendous commitment to inject much needed vigor into the battle to eradicate the problem. That aside, the FCC could better guarantee success in this fight if it remained faithful to its proven CAF Phase II model and allowed WISPs and other entities to participate beyond the clearing round. This ensures that market forces enabled by a more inclusive pool of bidders determine RDOF’s auction outcome. Unfortunately, the RDOF draft order would only allow the fastest broadband speeds to continue past the clearing round.

Returning to a CAF Phase II-like auction promotes participation by small rural innovators such as WISPs, and helps the hardest to serve rural areas get the evolving and affordable solutions they need to thrive.

WISPs are a key part of achieving this, showing 6 million times over that they can bring new communities online and connected to our digital economy. They should be allowed meaningful access throughout the RDOF auction process, uniting rural America to the rest of the country via innovative yet taxpayer-friendly solutions, which meet the broadband needs of their local communities.

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 is looking to light a fire under bidders in its high-band "spectrum frontiers" auction.

Starting Friday (Jan. 10), the FCC will increase the number of rounds from three per day to five, and cut the time from an hour to a half-hour per round.

After 34 rounds, auction 103 has generated ^,518,796,256 in gross bids among 35 qualified bidders.

They 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.  

The FCC's latest high-band 5G spectrum auction pushed past $6 billion in gross proceeds, ending the first day back from a holiday break Monday (Jan. 6) with $6,163,938,852, up from $5,757,682,316 when the auction was suspended last month. 

The FCC is auctioning a whopping 3,400 MHz, the most spectrum ever in one auction, of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands). The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs).   

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

Currently the bidding has been robust, but if it slows, the FCC will likely increase the number of rounds and possibly shorten them from an hour to a half hour.

As of round 18, the FCC's high-band spectrum auction (auction 103) has blown past the $3 billion mark, now standing at 3,336,894,708. 

That is up by almost a billion dollars in the last four rounds. The total after 14 rounds was $2,440,540,340. 

Related: FCC Spectrum Auction Nears $1.5B 

The FCC is auctioning 3400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands), more spectrum than it has ever auctioned at one time before, but with only 35 bidders vying for it (there were 38 bidders in the previous auction for less spectrum). The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

The auction will suspend bidding for the holidays on Friday (Dec. 20) at 5 p.m. and resume on Monday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. 

The FCC did not say it would be increasing the number of rounds when the auction resumes, but did remind bidders to view announcements regularly for any bidding schedule changes. 

Currently the bidding has been robust, but if it slows, the FCC will likely increase the number of rounds and possibly shorten them to a half hour. 

After four days and 11 rounds, the FCC's latest high-band 5G spectrum auction is approaching $2 billion in gross proceeds.

High-band spectrum is the shorter-wave spectrum that requires more dense arrays of towers because it does not travel as far as lower-band spectrum. 

Round 12 begins Monday morning (Dec. 16) with the current gross bid total at $1,917,584,500. 

The FCC is auctioning 3400 MHz of millimeter-wave spectrum (in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands), more spectrum than it has ever auctioned at one time before, but with only 35 bidders vying for it (there were 38 bidders in the previous auction for less spectrum). The spectrum can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs). 

Not surprisingly, New York has drawn the highest price at over $10 million. 

Sasha Javid, COO at the Spectrum Consortium, blogged last week that given the low number of bidders and the large amount of spectrum, he does not expect the auction to match the disappointing per-MHz POP* price of the last millimeter-wave spectrum auction (102). 

Still, the auction will almost certainly push past the clock phase total of $1,988,888,836 in the most recent high-band auction (102, the 24 GHz band) that ended last April. 

The auction is divided into two parts, the clock phase, where bidders bid on licenses, then a second, assignment phase, among winning bidders for specific specific frequencies.  

The FCC is still running three, one-hour, rounds per day in auction 103, but if past is prologue will boost that total considerably as it tries to speed the auction along.