- The FCC adopted the final schedule and format procedures for the upper C-band auction
- The auction covers 160 MHz in the 3.98-4.14 GHz band, or 3,248 flexible-use licenses
- The FCC says its rules carefully accommodate satellite and aviation stakeholders in order to facilitate a fast transition to 5G in the upper C-band
It’s officially official. The upper C-band auction, known as Auction 115, will start on April 27, 2027, setting the stage for a big showdown – possibly – between the Big 3 U.S. wireless carriers and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had included the April 27 date in a previous public notice, but it didn’t adopt the final schedule and formal procedures until today.
Starting the auction in April 2027 will keep the commission on track to complete the auction by July 4, 2027, as mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the agency said.
What is being auctioned?
The auction will be for 160 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.98-4.14 GHz portion of the upper C-band.
The FCC says it will be creating a harmonized “super band” because it’s uniting 280 megahertz of the lower C-band that was auctioned in 2020 to create this 440-megahertz swath.
In a statement, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the FCC is poised to complete one of the most significant spectrum auctions in U.S. history – on time, on budget and with no surprises.
“This is a big deal. With this auction, we are establishing a super band, an enormous swath of contiguous mid-band spectrum for 5G and 6G services that no other industrialized country can boast. And by prioritizing speed, competence and execution, the FCC is unlocking billions of dollars of investment and unleashing connectivity years sooners than originally expected,” he said.
It remains to be seen who will bid in Auction 115. A few years ago, the lower C-band auction brought in more than $80 billion for U.S. coffers, with the biggest spenders being Verizon and AT&T. Now that SpaceX has said it plans to build a terrestrial mobile network, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it show up to bid – and it certainly could use more spectrum.
All told, Auction 115 will offer 3,248 new flexible-use licenses for spectrum in the 3.98–4.14 GHz portion of the upper C-band throughout the contiguous United States subject to clearing requirements.
Spectrum to be cleared for 5G
The FCC’s upper C-band service rules, adopted last July, allow winning bidders to begin to offer wireless services in the upper C-band starting in December 2030 for the top-75 markets in the contiguous United States and in any remaining markets starting July 2031.
The agency said its rules for the use of this spectrum carefully accommodate satellite and aviation stakeholders in a financially responsible manner that incentivizes a fast transition to 5G in the upper C-band.
“Through close and synchronized collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the FCC’s rules ensure a successful coexistence environment for critical aviation safety systems in the adjacent band for many decades to come,” the FCC said.
The short-form application filing window for the auction opens Jan. 6, 2027, and upfront payments are due on March 18.
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