- Trump endorsed language in the reconciliation bill that would put 600 MHz up for auction
- The bill excludes the lower 3 GHz band from 3.1-3.45 GHz and the 6 GHz band
- Despite the exclusion of the lower 3 GHz, CTIA is urging passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
U.S. President Trump on Tuesday called on Congress to put 600 MHz of spectrum up for auction as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that’s making its way through the House. And yes, that's actually what it's called.
“We must maintain our status as the Worldwide Leader in WiFi, 5G, and 6G, connecting every American to the World’s BEST Networks, while also keeping everyone safe,” the president wrote on social media.
It looks as though he’s going to get what he wants. Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a marathon markup meeting on the federal budget reconciliation bill that included a framework for opening up 600 MHz of spectrum for auction, generating $88 billion through reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority.
The wireless industry, namely through CTIA, has been seeking more spectrum in the lower 3 GHz band for auction, but the legislation would take the 3.1-3.45 GHz band off the auction block, as well as the 5.925-7.125 GHz, aka the 6 GHz band, which is set aside for Wi-Fi.
It’s not clear if the 6 GHz band was ever seriously in play, but the lower 3 GHz certainly has been at the center of debate for years as it’s occupied by the Department of Defense (DoD) and CTIA has been lobbying for a slice of it for wireless carriers.
Fierce asked CTIA about the exclusion of the spectrum in the reconciliation bill but didn’t hear back. Apparently it’s OK with the current language because CTIA President and CEO Ajit Pai issued a statement last weekend urging passage of the bill.
“The wireless industry urges swift passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The critical spectrum and tax provisions in this legislation will allow the wireless industry to invest, create jobs, propel economic growth, and secure America’s edge in innovation,” Pai said in his statement.
One reason for taking the lower 3 GHz band out of contention for an auction is that the DoD likely wants to use it for the Golden Dome missile defense system that Trump ordered back in January.
Aside from these exclusions, Congress is giving significant leeway to the Trump administration to figure out how to find the 600 MHz between the 1.3 GHz and 10 GHz bands, New Street Research analyst Blair Levin noted in report for investors today.
“Congress is leaving all the important details to the White House, NTIA and FCC,” he wrote.
The bulk of his report focused on the release of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score for the spectrum auctions mandated in the reconciliation bill. The CBO scored the 600 MHz at $88 billion, with only $7.7 billion to be raised between 2025 and 2029 and the remaining $80.3 billion to be raised from 2030-2034. That will give the wireless carriers plenty of time to build up their war chests.
Spectrum pipeline
Big Beautiful Bill aside, the wireless industry will see some AWS-3 licenses come up for auction that were part of a big spending act that passed late last year. That gave the FCC a one-time auction authority to auction that spectrum in order to provide funds for “rip and replace,” the program that calls for removal of gear from Huawei and ZTE that was deployed by small, mostly rural operators in the U.S.
The FCC hasn’t yet set a date for the AWS-3 auction but it got the ball rolling with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking earlier this year. The commission is required to kick off the AWS-3 auction by June 23, 2026.
More spectrum is expected to be available through the upper C-band, which is the subject of an FCC Notice of Inquiry, although it’s unknown exactly how much will be available for commercial licensed wireless services and how much will be made available to satellite companies like SpaceX/Starlink.
Earlier this month, the FCC opened inquiries into how EchoStar, previously Dish Network, is using its spectrum. Levin said he doesn’t think the reconciliation bill, CBO score or President Trump’s comments change the incentives or process of resolving the disputes between FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and EchoStar.
“The scoring, being back loaded, gives Carr and the Administration significant time to reallocate spectrum, plan for clearing and set rules for and administer an auction,” he said.
Plus, EchoStar’s spectrum, which analysts believe will come to market at some point if EchoStar isn’t successful as a fourth facilities-based wireless service provider, isn’t necessary for the administration and Carr to achieve their goals, Levin concluded.