C-Band Auction Begins

 After more than a year of jockeying, the FCC began the C-band auction Tuesday. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all expected to be active bidders. The Commission is making available 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band.

“WIA members are thrilled this historic auction will at last put this spectrum to its highest and best use to deploy 5G across the country. This band enables more than capacity alone – this large block is critical for 5G. Given how much effort it took to get this much spectrum to auction, we thank Chairman Pai and the FCC for their success in getting it done,” WIA President/CEO Jonathan Adelstein told Inside Towers. 

There are 57 qualified bidders in Auction 107. Gross proceeds as of the first round yesterday were more than $1 billion, according to the FCC, at exactly $1,741,759,100. The auction kicks into higher gear today with three bidding rounds planned. Continue Reading