FCC chair plans major C-band spectrum auction to 'power new connections'

February 06, 2025 10:41 AM

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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr revealed that the agency is considering auctioning off more C-band spectrum.

In an update outlining the agency's agenda, the FCC chair said it will vote on opening up additional portions of C-band spectrum, ranging from 3.98 to 4.2 GHz for more intensive applications.

Carr, who replaced Jessica Rosenworcel, has long been a supporter of opening up more spectrum. He said this week that the FCC will be “laser-focused on accelerating efforts that can get more spectrum into the marketplace”.

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“We are taking action right out of the gate to get more spectrum into the hands of consumers — spectrum that can power new connections and innovations,” Carr said.

The FCC previously released 280 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the C-band for 5G back in 2020 in what was the agency’s most successful auction to date.

Carr took issue with the previous administration’s spectrum policy, claiming it spent more time studying the impact of releasing spectrum than making new connectivity available.

In addition to the proposed C-band sale, the FCC plans to kickstart the process for reauctioning AWS-3 spectrum licenses previously awarded to Huawei and ZTE as part of the Rip and Replace programme.

Carr described the AWS-3 spectrum auction as a “win-win,” with the proposed sale set to be completed by June 23, 2026.

Since taking over the FCC in early January, Carr has already rejected the Biden administration’s ‘bulk bill’ proposal, which would have regulated broadband providers' ability to negotiate directly with building owners on services for their entire buildings.

Ahead of the agency’s first open meeting, the new chair said the FCC was “off to a good start”.

“I am incredibly grateful for the chance to lead this agency and I want to express my thanks and appreciation to all of the FCC staff who worked to build out a robust agenda for this Commission’s first open meeting,” Carr wrote. “This is just the start of what I know will be a time of great possibility and prosperity for the communications sector and the American people.”