FCC Spectrum Auction Easily Tops $1B

FCC Spectrum Auction The FCC's high-band millimeter-wave auction blew by $1 billion Thursday on its way to a gross bid total after eight rounds, and three days, of bidding of $1,408,758,900, having already met its net revenue requirement. 

The FCC is auctioning 3,400 MHz of spectrum in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands, more spectrum than it has ever auctioned at one time. It can be used for both fixed and mobile uses and is being auctioned in 100 MHz blocks in partial economic areas (PEAs).  

Related: FCC Waivers Auction 103 Communications Prohibition for T-Mobile, Sprint 

The highest profile bidders are Windstream (actually the debtors in possession), T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular Corp. 

The FCC launched its latest high-band spectrum auction (auction 103) Tuesday (Dec. 10). 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.