- The FCC voted to free 160 MHz of upper C‑Band spectrum for terrestrial wireless use nationwide
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said, "America's leadership in wireless is back after years of falling behind"
- Auction is first of more auctions ahead in 2028, according to Carr
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to free 160 MHz of upper C‑Band spectrum for terrestrial wireless use nationwide. The spectrum will go up for auction in 2027, according to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. "America's leadership in wireless is back after years of falling behind and no new spectrum auctions," he said ahead of the vote this morning.
"The lower C-band, which the FCC freed up during the previous Trump administration, brought 5G, fixed wireless, and other innovations" said Carr. "Now, in auctioning the upper C-band, which sits right next door, we will unify the two bands to create an enormous swath of 440 megahertz. This harmonized super band will be the envy of the world."
Carr said the FCC is on on track to complete the auction in less than 12 months. "We've also accelerated the post-auction transition schedule so that wireless providers can light up the upper C-band and provide service to most Americans by the end of 2030, ahead of many expectations," he said.
Carr also noted that the FCC will work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that C-band services successfully coexist with critical aviation safety tools in the adjacent band.
He also said that the FCC expects more auctions by the end of 2028, and the FCC is already working toward those auctions.
As expected, Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty voted for the auction while Commissioner Anna Gomez voted partially for and partially against the auction due to the lack of a tribal licensing window.
FCC also approves Space Modernization Order
Separately, the FCC approved a space modernization order which aims to speed up the licensing process for satellite applications. The order is targeted at eliminating licensing and operating rules, per the FCC’s Delete, Delete, Delete program. Read more about that order here: FCC scheme would approve satellite licenses in assembly-line process.
Read about the Upper C-Band:
SpaceX seeks tweaks in upper C-band auction rules