The Federal Communications Commission has adopted the final schedule and formal procedures for its April 2027 auction of 160 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum intended for 5G mobile broadband use. Existing satellite distribution operators in the top 75 U.S. markets will need to migrate out of the spectrum by December 2030.
Designated as Auction 115, the sale covers the 3.98 to 4.14 GHz portion of the C-band. Unifying that spectrum with the 280 MHz of Lower C-band frequencies the FCC auctioned off in 2020 will create what the commission is calling a harmonized “super band.”
(Read the commission’s Auction 115 public notice.)
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law last year, the FCC was required to auction off at least 100 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum by July 2027.
“Our spectrum abundance agenda continues to fuel the American economy by ensuring cutting-edge industries from space to IoT, and 5G to drones, have the wireless resources they need to grow, innovate and excel,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.
The 3.98–4.2 GHz spectrum in question includes plenty of radio and TV stations that use “receive dishes” for news and syndicated-based programs.
Naturally, they’re not sharing in the commission’s enthusiasm, particularly after the Lower C-band migration six years prior.
Timelines
The application filing window for the FCC’s Auction 115 will open on Jan. 6, according to the public notice, and will close on Jan. 20. The auction itself begins on April 27.
It will be conducted in two phases using an ascending clock auction format for bidding on generic license blocks and then an assignment auction phase to determine frequency-specific license assignments, according to the notice.
To clear the band for wireless carriers, incumbent satellite service operations are being repacked into the remaining 4.16 to 4.2 GHz portion of the band, separated by a 20 MHz guard band at 4.14 to 4.16 GHz intended to protect continuing satellite operations from interference.
Incumbent FSS operators must transition out of the 3.98 to 4.16 GHz band under a two-tier schedule based on Partial Economic Areas:
- Dec. 30, 2030 (Primary Transition Deadline): Applies to incumbent FSS operations in PEAs 1 to 41 and 43 to 76.
- June 30, 2031 (Final Transition Deadline): Applies to incumbent FSS operations in all remaining contiguous U.S. markets (PEAs 77 to 211, 213 to 263, 265 to 297, 299 to 359 and 361 to 411).
You can find a breakdown of the PEAs here.
Auction 115 winning bidders must pay their allocated share to reimburse eligible incumbents for the reasonable and necessary costs of transitioning existing FSS C-band services out of 4.0 to 4.16 GHz, the commission’s public notice stated.
Winning licensees must also fund incentive payments to eligible satellite operators that meet clearing deadlines, as well as cover administrative costs for the Upper C-band clearinghouse and a potential relocation coordinator.
Incumbent concerns
Radio and TV licensees and advocates have already logged concerns over those transition logistics.
In recent filings, E.W. Scripps echoed warnings from the National Association of Broadcasters that the FCC’s proposed cost catalog and reimbursement framework are “incomplete” and rely on outdated 2020 pricing data that underestimates station expenses.
iHeartMedia worries, meanwhile, that the coming conversion will be far more complex than the 2020 Lower C-band migration.
In Friday’s public notice, the FCC declined commenter Michael Ravnitzky’s request to compile a consolidated summary of known incumbent sites, anticipated clearing timelines and continuing satellite operations.
“We do not believe that the commission should substitute its own synthesis of those materials for the independent investigation and analysis that prospective bidders are expected to undertake,” the FCC wrote.
Next year’s Upper C-band auction will make available 3,248 new flexible-use spectrum licenses throughout the lower 48 states. Under rules adopted in July, winning bidders may begin offering terrestrial wireless services in December 2030 across the top 75 markets and in July 2031 in all remaining markets, the commission stated.
[Do you receive the Radio World SmartBrief newsletter each weekday morning? We invite you to sign up here.]
